Blindsided
by denuo incipio
Summary: [Blindsided]: (verb) to catch (someone) unprepared; attack from an unexpected position. She was seeking an escape, and he sought redemption. Neither of them expected to need one another. [GaaTen, minor ShikaTema]
1. Chapter 1

**[Blindsided]: (verb) to catch (someone) unprepared; attack from an unexpected position. She was seeking an escape, and he, redemption. Neither of them expected to need one another. [GaaTen, minor ShikaTema]**

 **Chapter 1.**

 **Note: It's really been a while since I've ever written anything… I was bent with all these thoughts and needed to find a way to make my ideas come to life. So now, I'm trying to get back into writing, and the first step is to come back to this site to let my thoughts run free. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto is solely the property of Masashi Kishimoto. I did make up the names of Tenten's students.**

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Here she was standing in the Hokage's office, a room that she once thought was extremely big, all of a sudden just… _shrunk_ right before her very eyes.

Loud, boisterous voices intervened, commenting on the "joyfulness of youth", and she couldn't help but consciously twinge. In the back corner, she could hear someone sighing and muttering what a drag this whole thing was. Out of the periphery of her eye she could see a shadow of a person looking down on her. _'Why of all times do I have to be seeing him, even though he's clearly not here.'_ She blinked twice in an attempt of getting the image out of her line of vision.

"Yes, I'm sure," she responded in the most confident voice she could muster.

"Tenten, you have been mandated to Sunagakure, effective immediately. Your responsibilities will include being liaison to Suna and Konoha, to continue to foster the relation between our two villages, as well as to help with the reestablishment of Suna's ninja academy," the Rokudaime Hokage spoke in a clear voice. "You will be leaving with Temari, Kankuro and the Kazekage to Suna tomorrow morning. Is there any objection?"

Before anyone could interject, she quickly shook her head, bowed and left the room.

She didn't know why she wanted to do this.

Was it because she craved for something new? Since the end of the war, it seemed as though there were less missions to go on, less weapons to create and sell… Less of all the things that gave her a reason to live.

Could it be that her friends were all in relationships? Naruto and Hinata had gotten married in recent months, and an increasing amount of her friends were all dating or engaged. She could hardly walk down a street without seeing happy couples walking hand-in-hand.

Maybe it was due to the guilt she felt seeing her former sensei in a wheelchair. How could it be that in such times of turmoil, her former teacher and teammate would always be beacons of optimism. Many hours were spent watching Gai-sensei go through hours of physical therapy and training sessions with Lee.

Lee. How could she leave him in times like this? The poor guy had been through so much, as each of his motivators had either moved on, emotionally and physically. Sakura was content with Sasuke in whatever 'relationship' they had, and Gai-sensei spent his days confined to his wheelchair. She felt selfish requesting for such a drastic life change, as she would be leaving behind the man she considered her younger brother.

And then there was him. The reason that she felt that she was always falling. The man who gave her a reason to keep training harder, to keep improving as both a shinobi and person. She couldn't bear to say his name. No matter how many times she would ignore the raging thoughts about him in her mind, she would wake up in the middle of the night screaming and crying.

Why, of all people, did it have to be _him_?

"Yo, Gaara, why did you accept this request?" Kankuro lifted a scroll up, showing a moving request to relocate from Konoha to Suna.

"Hn."

"It's… Tenten? That girl that is always tagging along with the bowl cut guy? She's the one who is going to help Temari out?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't think she was _that_ great of a kunoichi. I mean, people are going to be talking and comparing her to Temari, which I mean…"

"If you have nothing else better to say, then don't bother speaking at all," Gaara responded in a clipped tone. "We are in Konoha, and while we are here, we must respect the village and the people living in it."

"Wow little bro, you sound like such a Kazekage right now… good thing that you got the job over me and Temari. I'm genuinely impressed!" Kankuro was multitasking between reading the scroll and tweaking one of his puppets. "Look, I didn't mean to be super straightforward like that, but I mean, being the ambassador between Suna and Konoha is a big responsibility. When I think of Tenten, I think of when Temari whupped her ass so hard in the Chuunin exams, and how she was always clinging onto fuzzy eyebrows and that guy with no eyes…"

"You mean Rock Lee and Hyuuga Neji," Gaara offhandedly mentioned, not looking up from his paperwork. "What's your point? We need someone for the job, and she's willing to work for it. I don't see an issue." His voice began to raise in volume, signaling for Kankuro to either talk about something different or to shut up completely.

Kankuro sighed and leaned back on his chair. "Well, I look forward to see what she can do. With Temari transitioning to Konoha to settle in with Shikamaru, Tenten is going to have big shoes to fill."

* * *

Tenten looked at her sparse apartment. It was completely empty, save for some pieces of furniture and some odd knick-knacks of less sentimental value. All of her important and treasured possessions were in her backpack, tucked away or sealed in scrolls.

She took a look at herself in the mirror that was affixed to the wall. She still had her signature twin buns, accompanied by intricate braids. Her style of dress remained relatively the same as well, wearing a Chinese-styled top with pants. She could never understand how her fellow kunoichi could wear skirts and fight effortlessly in battle; if anything, she would be more worried about the enemy seeing up her skirt than engaging in combat.

Even though she dressed the same, everything felt different. Her face had become more sallow, muscle mass was diminishing and she could see more skin and bone. Whatever youthfulness she had was gone- she was nothing more than a shadow of her former self.

If she hadn't been looking at the damned mirror. It was because she found herself staring at the mirror and not recognizing her reflection that was the catalyst that made her request to relocate. All because of her goddamn vanity and ego.

Before she knew it, the mirror had shattered into pieces due to an unsuspecting kunai being thrown from her hand.

"Dammit," she cursed, inwardly panicking while quickly cleaning up the pieces. Suddenly, she heard a gentle knock and a door slowly opening. "Tenten, are you here?" a voice slowly spoke, "I wanted to see you off before you go onto your next glorious endeavor!"

He turned to Tenten's bedroom and saw her, knelt down and picking up pieces of mirror glass with her hands. There were small cuts beginning to form on her hand, and she looked up at him listlessly.

"Oh, Tenten…" Lee left the room, looking for a broom and dustpan. Once he came back into the room, he quickly cleaned up the rest of the pieces on the floor and threw out the remnants of the mirror on the wall. Meanwhile, Tenten was performing a simple healing jutsu on herself. While she would normally let it just heal naturally, she didn't want Lee to worry even more so than he was now. Watching the subtle glow of green as she was healing her hands reminded her of her former self when she desired to become Tsunade and be the strongest medic-nin in her generation. And all she could do was heal a few shallow surface cuts.

How things change.

Once they had finished cleaning up and Tenten had done a last minute sweep of the apartment, Lee looked at her and extended his hand.

"Shall we visit our friend before your departure?"

* * *

Early in the morning, the Sand Siblings were walking around the village one last time before their departure back to their home. The sun had risen, the bright oranges and reds casting a glow upon the village as the Land of Fire.

"So Temari, are you ready to call this your new home?" Kankuro asked, lightly elbowing his older sister. "You ready to settle down with shadow-boy and spend the rest of your life playing Shogi and looking at clouds all day?"

"Shut up already, Kankuro! You're so annoying!" Temari snapped back, while blushing at the thought that she would be spending the rest of her life with Shikamaru. There was a lot that needed to be done before the engagement could be official, with Temari being an important figure in Suna and Shikamaru rising in ranks within Konoha and the Nara clan. But the thought of settling down had her looking forward to the future.

While the two older siblings were playfully arguing, Gaara fixated on two people running across the street holding hands- a man donning bright green spandex and a young woman with a large backpack and scroll on her back and flowers in her hand. From afar, he could hear the young woman complain about running and holding hands, but was unable to shake off the man's enthusiasm in reaching their destination.

* * *

"OH GREAT ONE, TODAY WE ARE HERE TO SAY GOODBYE TO OUR BELOVED TENTEN WHO IS LEAVING FOR HER NEXT BIG JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF WIND!"

"OI, LEE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Oh, Tenten, I'm simultaneously telling the heavens and Neji to watch over you as you are about to embark on an adventure by yourself!"

Another voice cleared their throat and began shouting with a similar intensity, "YES, LEE, THAT IS IT ! WE MUST SHOUT TO THE HEAVENS TO MAKE SURE THE SPIRITS CAN HEAR US AND CAN GUIDE TENTEN!"

"Ahhhh Gai-sensei… Lee… It's too early in the morning for this…" Tenten rubbed the back of her head, mentally preparing for the headache that would soon emerge.

With the war, there were many casualties- some whose bodies were found and brought back home, and others that would be remain scattered on the battlegrounds. All those who had lost their lives in the great wars had an individual plaque in remembrance for their sacrifice and loyalty to their nation.

While Hinata and Naruto had ensured Neji's body be brought to Konoha, Tenten never had any closure in regards to Neji's passing. Out of all the people that fought alongside with her, she hadn't expected Neji to lose his life. She never got a chance to say goodbye.

Gai-sensei looked at Tenten and could see the tears starting to threatening to fall from her eyes. "Lee," he spoke in a hushed tone, "perhaps this time we should leave our lovely Tenten alone to speak to beloved Neji." He began to head out, looked back at Tenten and mentioned that he and Lee would be waiting by the entrance whenever she was ready. Lee gripped her shoulder and went to follow their former teacher.

Tenten looked at the plaque and laid down the flowers she had bought in front of it. "Neji… There are so many things I want to say to you… but you're not here to reprimand me, and it's not the same anymore." She sniffed and cleared her throat.

"Neji, I… I'm relocating to Sunagakure. Temari and Shikamaru are going to get engaged and married, so I decided to move to see how I can help… no, that's not it." She mentally berated herself for lying, and took a deep breath before continuing her thought. "I'm moving because I need a change in my life- everyone around me is settling down and here I am still itching for another mission… no, that's not quite it either." She closed her eyes and tried to think of a way to reword her jumbled thoughts.

"Neji, I am moving to Sunagakure," She attempted to speak more confidently. "I need a change in my life. I'm sure you've seen it- Hinata and Naruto are happily married, Ino and Sai are together, so are Shikamaru and Temari… Heck, even Choji and Karui are dating! It's not that I'm jealous of them, I know what you would say to that… I don't have the time to be jealous and should dedicate my efforts to improving my craft. But… I don't feel like I'm on the same page as everyone else. Everyone else is looking forward to times of peace and relaxation, and I'm still reliving moments of the war in my mind over and over again… it's on an infinite loop that I can't shake off."

She took a deep breath and knelt down in front of the plaque. "So I decided to move. I know that Lee and Gai-sensei will take good care of you because I won't be able to visit as often. I'm sure that wherever you are, you are happy. Perhaps this is my fate- I'll learn more and find my own purpose. I'll be back to visit when I can!" Her fingertips grazed over the engraving on the plaque. "I miss you, Neji."

Tenten stood up and quickly pivoted. She resisted the urge to look back as she left the cemetery.

* * *

Not an hour later, three shinobi from the Land of Wind came walking by to the cemetery to pay their respects to those in the Allied Shinobi Forces who gave their lives to the war. One in particular had noticed a simple bouquet of flowers lying on top of one of the headstones.

Similar to the one that he had seen a certain kunoichi clutching previously.

* * *

At last, it was time to finally say goodbye.

Tenten looked at all those in front of the Konoha entrance gates. At the front was Kakashi Hatake, the sixth Hokage, donning his kage robes and quietly speaking to Gaara. Behind Kakashi was Lee and Guy, tears streaming down their eyes.

She could see Sakura, Ino and Hinata gathered together, waving and well-wishing. Then there was Naruto who was jumping and shouting in typical Naruto fashion. She tried to laugh but couldn't muster the effort.

Shikamaru and Temari were whispering to one another, until he looked in Tenten's general direction, broke off his embrace with Temari and went over to Tenten, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "So it looks like you're really leaving, eh?" He hugged her, whispering, "take care of yourself. Temari can really pack a punch when you're not looking." Over the years, they had become good friends, as they were in charge of planning Chuunin exams, training genin and devising fighting strategies. While Tenten was nowhere as good as the 200 IQ genius, he was always open to her opinion, especially when it came to long-range fighting and weaponry, as well as the opportunity to play a decent game of Shogi.

"I'll miss you too, Shikamaru," Tenten whispered back. "I'll be back to visit when I can. Take care of them for me, please?" It went without saying that she was entrusting Shikamaru with Lee, Gai and Neji, the three most important people in her life.

Shikamaru nodded. "Of course. It'll be troublesome, but I'll do it."

Tenten was the first to leave the hug and walked over to the girls. She could see tears streaming from Sakura's, Ino's and Hinata's eyes. "Ne, I won't be gone for too long. I'll be back to visit from time to time, and we can always catch up!" Tenten tried her best to genuinely smile, even though her body was resisting.

All of a sudden, she could feel herself being forced into a group hug consisting of Ino, Sakura and Hinata, followed by Lee who just couldn't resist. To her, all of this formality was just prolonging her leaving.

As she turned to leave, she could feel tiny hands grabbing the hem of her pants. "Tenten-sensei… you won't be gone for too long will you?" She looked down to see her three students, Jun, Yukio and Shizko. She was training students at the academy and had created a team. Yukio was hugging her while trying not to cry, whereas Shizko had tears overflowing. Jun was a few steps behind his two teammates observing and trying to resist joining the hug.

"I…" Tenten didn't know where to start. She had realized that while this move was good for her, but she wouldn't have students to train in Konoha, and there no daily trainings with Lee and Gai. Her friends would be a three day journey away. Again, she couldn't help reflecting on her selfishness, that she could just easily leave everyone behind without any consequences.

"I want to introduce you to your new teacher!" Tenten looked to her students. "See that guy right there? That is the one and only Rock Lee…" hesitating for a moment before finishing her thought, "Konoha's Beautiful Green Wild Beast!" She tried to avoid cringing saying the nickname while everyone around her tried to stifle laughter, with Lee and Gai getting overly excited. "Lee will be taking over for me and will be overseeing your training. He was my former teammate back in the day, and I can guarantee you that you three will thrive!" She petted each of their heads and whispered for them to go to Lee.

She remained focused on her thoughts until a voice resounded, "It would be most advised to make the most of the daylight." Tenten looked up to see the Kazekage standing in front of her, with his arms crossed. _'Looks like that's my cue to head out,'_ she thought.

"Hai… of course." Tenten stood up and dusted off any dirt on her pants. "You are right, we should go." She waved to her friends one last time before following Temari, Gaara and Kankuro.

 _'Goodbye everyone.'_

* * *

For three days they traveled, going from forest to forest, village to village, before they had reached their destination.

During those three days, Tenten had not said a single word to any of the siblings. At one point, Kankuro had tried to tease her and make practical jokes, but she hadn't laughed or retaliated. Temari was hinting about a possible rematch, but judging from the look on the brunette's face, she wasn't willing to fight.

Gaara looked back to where Tenten was. Throughout the journey, she remained three steps behind the siblings, and always seemed to be constantly on edge. Even after all these years and missions together, she couldn't be comfortable with them? He wouldn't blame her if she thought that she would have been attacked by any of them during their travels. After all, the three of them had such a menacing reputation, especially himself.

As they walked across Suna to the Kazekage building, Tenten couldn't help but notice the stares that the people on the streets were giving her. Did she really look that different? Would she never be able to belong in any surrounding she was in?

She continued walking until she bumped into someone's back. _'Dammit, first day here and I'm already acting clumsy, bumping into the Kazekage of all people! Tenten, get your shit together! Are you honestly that incompetent to look forwards when walking?'_

"Um… gomen."

Gaara pivoted and looked her straight in the face. Those were the first words that she had spoken throughout this entire trip, and the second phrase that was addressed to him in the course of three days. Both Temari's and Kankuro's eyes widened at the exchange, if it could be even called that. Gaara and Tenten just looked at each other in silence, each trying to read the other person.

Until he broke the silence.

"Welcome to Suna, Tenten."

* * *

 **And that's it for the first chapter! Hopefully it was a sufficient intro giving some context as to what will be happening to our lovely Tenten in upcoming chapters…**

 **Writing about pairings such as these give me a challenge. Regardless of its popularity and whether it's canon or not, it's always fun to dabble and think about what kind of scenarios these characters will find themselves in!**

 **Heads up: it's been awhile since I've read the chapters/watched episodes, so some of my details are foggy. I'll try and keep this as close to the main storyline as possible, perhaps minor AU at most...**

 **Please review! I would love to hear people's thoughts!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

 **Thank you to all that have read this story so far! Trying to update on a weekly basis, and making sure I come up with some unique ideas for upcoming chapters… enjoy! Love to hear what you all think. Thanks to those who have reviewed, followed and favorited so far!**

 **Disclaimer:** **Naruto is solely the property of Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

One week living in Suna, she couldn't help but still feel the need to be overly cautious.

It wasn't the hospitality that was the issue. If anything, Gaara, Temari and Kankuro had been especially… _nice._

She was living in an apartment complex that the Kazekage had reserved for esteemed guests. The apartment itself looked simple but discreetly expensive; which was more grandiose than any other accommodations she ever had. Gaara had told her that she was able to stay here for as long as she liked. When she tried to argue that she could find housing on her own, Gaara had said that Suna was indebted to her services. This was deserving enough to live rent-free in one of the newest and best residences in the village.

Her new responsibilities consisted of working with council officials in re-establishing the Suna Shinobi Academy, to create challenging classes and simulated missions for future shinobi. This was an ongoing initiative that Gaara had created since becoming Kazekage. While the academy had been built since the beginning of Suna's time, it didn't have the same rigor and consistency that Konoha's had. Instead, students were handpicked and trained by their families or friends, creating a system of favoritism and subsequent unevenness in aptitude. After hearing more about the training system that Suna shinobi had, she made it a personal goal to have students learn more in detail about weaponry usage and strategy.

In addition, she was also shadowing Temari in official Konoha-Suna business. Twice a week she met with the blonde kunoichi, learning more about the ins and outs of the council and the ambassador role. They would jointly share the position, and once Temari permanently settled in Konoha, Tenten would assume full responsibility.

It was very touch-and-go, she realized, when it came with dealing with the council. Mostly due the fact that these councilmen were all strangers- with the exception of Gaara, Kankuro and Temari- but that they were also mostly men. It only took a short amount of time for Tenten to notice just how few female shinobi and figureheads there were in their small village.

No wonder Temari was the most feared female of their village. She probably was the only woman who had the skills and audacity to stand up to a man.

Thinking about the societal hierarchy put Tenten deeper in thought as she continued walking down the street. If anything, Neji would be a huge proponent for this system- he always believed that women's greatest purpose was to do housework and rear children. Curse him and his traditional upbringing! Tenten remembered all the debates they had in regards to these issues, with Lee constantly chiming in about how happy he was that his teammates were so youthful in discussion.

She closed her eyes and smiled as she fondly recollected such memories. While doing so, she didn't realize that she had accidentally collided into someone.

"Excuse me, I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going," Tenten apologized and lightly bowed her head, not noticed who she had walked right into.

"Yo! It took me a while to look find ya… Gaara is looking for you."

She looked up to see a face full of face paint. "Oh, Kankuro-san, I didn't realize that the Kazekage was looking for me. Were we scheduled to have a meeting?"

Kankuro laughed at her formality, "Sheesh… even after all these years, you're still so formal, even around me! We owe a lot to your team for supporting us, y'know? If anything, we should be formal to you all… Anyways, Gaara wants to see you since he had some free time, which to be honest, is pretty rare. He wanted to go over some stuff I think. He thought you would be somewhere around the village center and wouldn't have gone far, so he sent me to find you. Who knew that you would have been wandering towards the outskirts..."

"Heh, sorry about that, I've just been wandering around and I guess I've found my way all the way out here." Tenten responded, embarrassed about her lack of direction.

"Well, now that I found you, let's head over to the Kazekage building. Best not to leave my brother waiting eh?"

The tone of casualness instantly relieved her anxiety. Tenten lightly smiled. "Lead the way!"

* * *

Tenten experienced the same kind of claustrophobia in the Kazekage's office, similar as to when she was in the Hokage's office before she relocated. How could it be that the walls were closing in when there were only three people in the room?

She remained standing in the center of the room, right in front of Gaara. Kankuro had settled down, sitting in a couch along the side of the office.

Green eyes fixated on brown. "Why are you so tense?"

"I… I…" she stammered.

"Don't be nervous," Gaara spoke, in an attempt to reassure her. This is an impromptu meeting, if you can even call it that. It crossed my mind that you haven't received a proper tour of your new home."

At the sound of 'your new home', Tenten perked up. She wasn't used to hearing Suna referred as her 'home'; if anything, it was just a place that she would stay for only a few days while on missions or when en route to other destinations. Up until now.

"Thank you, Kazekage-sama, your kindness is much appreciated." She bowed her head in respect.

"You need not use such formal terms. We have fought alongside each other, and our social circles are similar." He couldn't help but feel awkward in this position. Although years passed since he became Kazekage, he did not know how to respond when friends and family regarded him so formally.

"Of course, Gaara-sama."

Clearly, the formalness was not going to go away. It was a lost cause.

Gaara cleared his throat and resumed speaking. "I would like for you to receive a formal tour of Sunagakure. Kankuro will be your guide, and he'll show you around the different areas of the village. Afterwards we can all regroup for dinner."

Tenten looked at Gaara, whose unwavering gaze seemed to pierce hers. How could he just sit there calmly while she's internally panicking?

"Yes, I would love a tour of the village, and many thanks to Kankuro-san for agreeing to give me the tour, despite his busy schedule."

Kankuro stopped twiddling his thumbs, completely caught off-guard. "Oh… it's nothing at all. Let's head out! Gaara- you and Temari will meet us for dinner this evening?" Gaara nodded his head in response to his older brother's question.

* * *

"And here is the town center, it has lots of great shops and eateries that you could possibly find…"

Tenten followed three steps behind Kankuro, who was eagerly pointing to all the different shops and places to go to. While she appreciated the tour, she wasn't fully listening to the older puppeteer.

Kankuro abruptly stopped walking and turned around to look at the brunette. "Yo, are you not listening? Wooooow my whole tour and commentary went right down the drain…" he lightly joked as he began dramatically waving his hands around.

Then he took a look at her face.

"Hey." Kankuro waved his hand around her face to get her attention. "What's going on? You barely talk and you don't look like you're fully here in the moment. Do you even know what you're doing?"

Tenten looked back at him, hesitating to speak. "Yeah, sorry about that, I guess I'm just having a harder time adjusting than I thought. It's hard for me to imagine this to be my new home just yet," she added, quoting Gaara's words.

"Hm… Gaara mentioned you might be this way."

' _Gaara? Of all people, him?'_ She thought, hundreds of thoughts and hypothetical situations proliferating in her mind. Maybe he thought that she was too weak and wouldn't be able to handle relocating to a new village and assuming a new job.

She had to stand her ground. If not for her sanity, then for her own ego. "Excuse me, I think I can handle myself," she asserted.

Realizing that he might have triggered her, Kankuro quickly put his hands up to signal that he was innocent. "We just wanted to make sure that you were adjusting well You've been kind of out of it, and we wanted to make you feel at home."

"You notice it too?" she whispered.

Kankuro stopped. In the years that he had known Tenten, he had never thought of her to be so meek.

"Come on, Tenten, let's keep going. We still have a lot of ground to cover before it gets dark."

* * *

Dinner was... _awkward_.

To Tenten, she thought that she had a relatively high tolerance when it came to social awkwardness, whether it be due to an overly enthusiastic duo or a stoic prodigy who felt that it was his fate to brood.

But this… was on a whole new level.

Kankuro and Tenten were the first to arrive to dinner, where they were seated in a private room. Temari arrived twenty minutes later, extremely infuriated after sitting in a two hour meeting with the council. When she entered the room, she put her fan down by the door and sat down without saying a single word.

Gaara had yet to arrive.

Tenten decided to make the first move. "Um…" Temari, who was sitting across from Tenten, stared her down. She decided not to speak at all.

"Come on Temari, when was the last time we all got dinner together like this? Usually it's us just sitting in the office doing work together, or in meetings, or the rare occasion where we all eat at home. We never get to go out, so this is a special time!" Kankuro chided.

"Look, I have work to do. The fact that we are just sitting here and not doing anything means that this is a legitimately such a drag."

Tenten did what was the absolute worst thing to do in a tense atmosphere. She giggled.

A full-hearted giggle. One of light-hearted humor, not of derision.

"Ehhhh, why are you giggling? What could possibly be funny at this time? You should be taking your training seriously, and instead there's news of you getting lost in the village. Do you require constant care and supervision?" Temari scolded.

"You said 'such a drag'," Tenten explained, "you should like Shikamaru." She looked up to see the blonde kunoichi blushing.

Kankuro laughed. "Hah, clearly this lazy guy's ways have rubbed off on you. Might as well take a page out of his book and calm down. Let's order some sake and you can forget about all the work you need to do."

"That won't be necessary."

Tenten looked up to see Gaara walking into the room and taking the only available seat remaining. Right next to her.

' _Oh god, he's sitting right next to me. Tenten, you better do your best to not make a complete fool of yourself. His siblings already think you're going insane…'_

"I trust that my brother gave you a sufficient tour of the village?" Gaara asked, and Tenten's thoughts immediately went back to the conversation.

"Ah… yes, yes he did. I'm very thankful. Now I know where all the training grounds and best shops are. It was a great idea to get a tour, so thank you very much, Gaara-sama."

"Not at all. We want you to feel comfortable here. As you get accustomed to the village, please feel free to reach out to us if you require anything."

"Thank you, Gaara-sama."

The conversation lulled for a few moments afterwards, and to Tenten's luck, dinner was served.

* * *

Tenten had luckily not dropped or spilled anything on herself or on her dinner companions. She considered it a success in itself, as she was trying her best to not to be even more of an embarrassment.

She was convinced that the siblings had believed they were investing in a lost cause- a weak kunoichi who had big ambition but little skill. Maybe they went so far to say she was incompetent.

But it's not like she did much to show that she was proficient at her job. In reality, she was just someone who knew how to run away from her troubles.

And whatever they thought, they did a good job of not showing it. Throughout the dinner, Kankuro was making jokes at Temari, who looked like she was about to use her wind scythe jutsu on him if he didn't shut up, and Gaara interjected occasionally with a sentence or two. Tenten spent the entire dinner observing the three, without saying a word.

After dinner, they had walked her back to her apartment. Tenten found out that all three siblings had rooms in the complex, but because they were constantly busy with paperwork, patrolling and meetings, she had never run into any of them. In addition, the siblings had their family home which was farther out of the center of the village.

Once she arrived in her room, Tenten had taken a look at herself in the mirror. Before the war, Tenten had never cared about appearances, unless there was a special event taking place. Now, she began to obsess over her reflection, as her clothes did not properly fit her, and she could overhear other people in the village whispering about her when she was back in Konoha. She accepted that she was average looking. In addition, she acknowledged that was automatically was at a disadvantage. She did not have any clan lineage like Hinata and Ino, the strength and training like Sakura, nor the innate talent and courage that Temari had.

… Then what _did_ she have? What could she claim as her own?

Weapons? Anyone can throw a weapon.

Aim? With practice, anyone could have good aim.

Endurance? If you had Gai and Lee on your team, you could easily become the fastest runner.

She had no name for herself, and no traits that anyone would possibly desire.

Looking at the clock, it was almost midnight. And she was hardly tired. She had thought that being constantly on edge would be exhausting and she would eventually fall asleep. But instead her anxiety caused her to stay awake.

Just like everything else in her life, even her strategy had failed. If she can't even maintain her own life, how could she help others?

The mirror did nothing to help her. All she could see was shrunken confidence and bones threatening to protrude out of her skin.

And sometimes, like right now, she would see him right behind the mirror.

' _Why, Neji? Why must you be watching over me like this?'_ She resisted breaking the mirror.

All of a sudden, she could feel that familiar feeling of her chest tightening and her hands shaking. It felt like her throat was closing up, and it suddenly got harder and harder to breathe.

Fresh air. Yes, that's what she needed. She ran to open the windows and a gust of wind came upon her. But air wasn't enough- she could feel the room close in on her too. She tried to scream but nothing could come out. Everything began to look distorted and she felt locked into her own apartment, and she didn't have the key to get out.

She slowly backed up until she got onto the bed, where she cried. The searing pain in her chest was too hard for her to cope with. Why did it have to be her to bear such a burden? Why did she think leaving Konoha was the answer to all of her problems?

On the other side of the wall, a young man walking to his room overheard the sound of her cries.

* * *

The next time she opened her eyes, it was early morning.

Too early.

She went to her window that she had left open and saw the early morning light shine down upon the village.

Suna lacked the foliage and verdure that Konoha had, and all the buildings were primarily the same color. The food, had a different complexity in flavor. And the people, they all wore very muted colors, and they all seemed relatively uniform. Only Gaara, Kankuro and Temari were the exact opposite, donning vibrant and rich colored clothes.

She looked at the clock. Five o'clock in the morning.

If she was back at home training with her team, she knew they would say that no better time to start training than right now. While she craved a couple extra hours of sleep, her body was acclimated to the routine of early trainings. She got out of her bed, put on her morning training clothes and put her hair in her signature twin buns.

"Yosh! Thirty laps around the village!" She quickly and quietly headed out, afraid of waking up any of her neighbors.

* * *

Running, regardless of whether or not it could be considered a talent, was one of Tenten's favorite activities. Next to sleeping, eating and weapons training, she always loved running.

The physical activity allowed her endorphins to run wild, and all negativity in her life to be filtered out. She could run as fast as she wanted to, as much as wanted to, without any judgement or permission from anyone else. It was one of the few chances she had to be free.

While training, she would envision herself running from her dreaded enemies, or from her teammates when they proposed insane training session ideas. As of recently, she believed herself to be running away from all her problems- whether they were in regards to other people or herself.

She didn't want to admit it, but she was running from herself.

At the thought of that, she increased her pacing.

While walking back to the apartment complex, she ran into Gaara and Temari.

"Good morning, Gaara-sama and Temari-san!" Tenten waved, a smile on her face.

The two siblings looked at her. Sand had gotten all over her clothing, and her signature hair buns had started to unfurl. Sweat was dripping down her face, her eyes were still red and swollen from the previous night.

"You seem to be having fun," Temari put her hands on her hips and smirked. "Here I thought you would be getting your beauty rest, considering you're having a meeting with the council about your teaching plans for the academy."

Temari always knew how to catch the other girl at her weakest point. Tenten took a quick look at Gaara, who seemed to be completely unfazed by the entire dialogue.

"Ah yes, the meeting. That's at 0900 hours, so I still have some time to get ready and prepare a couple of things to show the council," she replied, feigning confidence.

"Well, we will all look forward to what you have to present. I am sure that the council will be impressed and will approve of whatever plans you may have," Gaara responded, nodding his head in respect.

Typical Gaara, always the diplomatic one.

"Thank you, Gaara-sama, for your kind words." Tenten quickly bowed and ran into the building, attempting to avoid any further awkward conversation.

The meeting had been a moderate success. As she expected, the council that comprised of a male majority were skeptical of a female shinobi being able to demonstrate competence in long-range combat and strategy trainings. They were amazed at her demonstrations of sealing jutsus and weaponry, and assessed her strategical thinking to be more than proficient.

But the majority of the meeting consisted of the councilmen having back and forth conversation about how impractical it was to incorporate fūinjutsu and weaponry as a main focus. Suna had its own trademarks of using wind-release jutsus and puppetry- why did it need to change? And if it needed to change, why would it be a foreigner teaching?

Tenten was slightly hurt at the usage of the word "foreigner". It reminded her about how she would never really fit into her surroundings, no matter where she was. She would always be categorized as an outsider and subsequently ostracized.

"Enough!"

Tenten was interrupted from her thoughts and directed her attention to identify the speaker.

It was Gaara.

"A long time ago, I met someone who aspired to become one of the greatest ninjas alive, but found himself incapable of being able to achieve success in genjutsu or ninjutsu. He instead focused on enhancing his taijutsu, with the help of his instructor and teammates. Although he had encountered many obstacles throughout his training, that had never deterred him from his dream."

Tenten smiled. He was talking about Lee.

"And," Gaara added, "that is the same man that had came to not only my aid, but to the aid of our entire village. He fought alongside with us during the war, and continues to uphold and treasure the peace that we have, despite not being from our village. There are many children in our village who express the same desire to become shinobi but do not express interest or talent in certain areas. To which we used to clearly dismiss them and put an end to their dream. Why not show them the diversity in possibilities that is offered?"

Before any of the councilmen could protest, Gaara finished by asking, "How can we say we are an inclusive village during this time of peace when we fail to accept those who are not native to our nation?" He looked to Tenten.

Tenten couldn't help but smile again. It was amazing how in just a few sentences, Gaara was able to calmly and diplomatically attack the issues at hand. No wonder why he was chosen to be the Kazekage.

The room went silent.

Baki, the siblings' former teacher, looked at Gaara and then at Tenten before speaking. "Tenten-san, you are clearly a very distinguished shinobi. You are considered the weapons mistress of Konoha, you have been a part of core teams with some of the greatest shinobi of your generation. In addition, you have fought with us in the war in the First Division."

Tenten took a deep breath. She began to focus in on Baki and his words, slightly trepidatious if his next words would be a polite rejection to her proposal.

"Although we are in a peaceful era, I still strongly believe that we should uphold the shinobi legacy, virtues and spirit. We have entered a time of acceptance, and that entails showing shinobi of this generation and of the future what is in store. They should be able to express interest in what they like and feel confident they would be proficient in. To this, I will argue that Tenten-san should begin implementing her curriculum immediately."

There were a series of murmurs that could be heard throughout the room. No one wanted to openly defy Baki or the Kazekage so quickly. Tenten looked at Gaara, who didn't seem provoked or nervous. ' _He must be confident that this plan will work, otherwise he wouldn't be so relaxed as he is right now.'_

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Tenten was officially stated as an instructor for the Sunagakure Shinobi Academy.

"Thank you very much, everyone," Tenten thanked as she bowed. "I will not disappoint you all."

She waited for everyone to leave the room and she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Congratulations."

Tenten quickly whipped her head around to see Gaara still remaining in his chair. "H-how are you still here? I could have sworn I saw you leave the room…"

"I wanted to speak with you personally."

She froze. "S-sp-speak with me personally?" She stammered, not being able to find the right words. Her anxiety was gradually rising. Did she do something wrong again?

"You can relax. There is no need to be nervous."

Tenten exhaled, hoping that some of her unease would visibly dissipate. "Of course, Gaara-sama. Many apologies about that, I do not mean you any insult. I was just nervous about whether the council would approve of my proposal."

"Did I not say that your proposal would be approved? Do you question your own aptitude?"

The directness of his questions had her subconsciously wince. If she told him the truth, then she would be sent right back to Konoha.

She put up a stern face. "No, Kazekage-sama, that is not my intention." Gaara's eyes slightly widened at the increased formality. "I apologize for my bad choice in wording. I will be shadowing Temari this afternoon and would like some time to put away my scrolls and weapons before meeting with her. Thank you for this conversation." She grabbed her belongings, bowed and left the room.

* * *

After a long afternoon of following Temari around, reading treaties and historical records, and a tour of the academy from Baki, she was extremely tired. Perhaps she shouldn't have ran the full thirty laps.

When was the last time she had eaten? Last night's dinner? She had a difficult time digesting the food in Suna; she was homesick for the food in her hometown.

But what bothered her most of all was Gaara. How could he be so direct with her, almost at the brink of being rude? She had tried her best to remain poised- the old Tenten would have been standing up out of her chair, summoning weapons left and right until the council elders accepted her presence.

Instead, she sat there quietly, waiting for the right times to speak. Since when did she become a doll- someone who would only speak when spoken to?

She prided herself in her independence and forward thinking, so when did that go away?

A gentle knock could be heard from outside. Tenten quickly got out of her bed and walked to the door. Looking through the peephole on the door, she saw two attendants carrying trays. To her, they looked innocent enough, so she decided to open the door.

"Tenten-san," one of the attendants spoke, "we have some food delivered to you. May we come in?"

The woman in question looked appalled. Since when did she order food? She was just thinking about the last time she ate, and then food arrived at her front door- what kind of coincidence was this?

"Sure, come in," she replied, still unsure of what was going on.

The second attendant spoke up. "We have received direct orders from the Kazekage to deliver these to you. I believe you may enjoy what's there for you!" Before Tenten even had a chance to respond, the two attendants bowed and left the room.

Tenten looked at the trays, hesitant to look at its contents. After a few moments of deliberation, she decided to go ahead and remove the cloches.

She gasped. Underneath the coverings were her favorite foods: sesame dumplings, vegetable stir fry and tea.

' _H-how could anyone know my favorite foods? How would he know? It's not like he would know, considering we hardly ever talk…'_ She began to be deep in thought, trying to figure out how this could be possible.

The food looked amazing. She scoped it out, deeming it to be fine. As she started eating, she suddenly felt a rush of familiarity through her system.

She was homesick, and being in a new place for an indeterminate amount of time only made the feeling of longing worse.

* * *

A few hours later, Gaara was walking back to his room to pick up some paperwork. He noticed two empty trays outside of her door.

It was a good thing that both Lee and Shikamaru had given him information about Tenten. Official paperwork described her accomplishments, but only her closest friends knew about her as a person.

As he continued down the hall, once he approached his apartment, he saw an envelope addressed to him taped onto the door.

He opened the letter and read,

 _ **Gaara-sama,**_

 _ **Thank you very much for the food that you have delivered. I truly appreciate the kind gesture. Apologies for any miscommunication on my part after this morning's meeting. I meant no malintention. I look forward to working with you and the council more.**_

 _ **-Tenten**_

After reading the note, he let out a small smile as he walked into his room. He grabbed the files he was looking for and began quickly jotting down a note on a piece of paper.

* * *

"I feel so much better! A nap really does wonders!" Tenten spoke to herself, as she started stretching and making her way out of the bed.

A hot meal, shower and nap made all the difference. All the fear and negativity she previously harbored was temporarily gone. She changed from her pajamas to her usual blouse and pants, and put her hair up into her braided buns before taking a walk around the village.

As she opened the door to leave, she saw a note posted on her door.

 _ **You are very welcome, I am glad you enjoyed the food. Please let me know if you ever need anything during your time here in Suna.**_

Perhaps her move here wasn't such a bad idea at all.

* * *

 **And that's it! A bit longer than the first chapter, but I hope that it was able to provide more context for everyone!**

 **My goal for this story is to be a gradual romance. A lot of times, when I read stories with non-canon pairings, the stories tend to be more rushed or not serious at all. I want to make sure that this is something that isn't just a jumble of words, and that I will be able to see through from start to finish. At this time, I have the makings of an outline of it in my mind, but now the challenge is to be able to put it all into words (and have the time to do it too!).**

 **Again, reviews are appreciated (but not obligatory)! I'd love to hear what you all think, and where you think the story will go... Getting different perspectives is always great!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

 **Time for the next chapter! Please enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **Naruto is solely the property of Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

As days passed, she gradually realized how beautiful Suna was whenever she was on her morning runs. She changed her route everyday, which allowed her to learn more about the different side streets and shops. The best time for her to run was early enough before she could see people wandering around on the streets, and the desert heat would begin to set in. It was one of the few liberating moments she had to herself.

Running gave her a chance to realign herself. She spent each day with one of the siblings or with the council, leaving her without time to attempt her normal routine she had at home. ' _How long has it been since I've really trained with my weapons?'_ she thought, as she continued running. Typically at the end of each day, she would allocate time to tend to her weaponry, to create seals for her scrolls and do target practice. But now, she was constantly studying, going over important documents and networking with new people.

She slowed down her pace and sighed. At the corner of her eye she saw some purple flowers growing out of the side of the road. She thought back to the times she would be sitting in the Yamanaka family flower shop catching up with her friends. Even as she began to appreciate her new surroundings, the feelings of yearning and guilt remained.

* * *

As Tenten got ready, she packed a few of her scrolls with her. She assumed that the students and staff would want to have her demonstrate her capability and knowledge, so she wanted to be prepared.

Before she departed her apartment, she couldn't help it but glance at her reflection in her mirror. It was right there in front of her, and she had to look. That damned mirror always enticing her.

The women in Suna were prudent when it came to style of dress compared to those in Konoha. With her wardrobe consisting of mostly Chinese-styled clothing, she couldn't help but feel ostentatiously dressed when walking down the street. But to dress any other way would be breaking out of character- she had a reputation to maintain for the public, and an ego to keep healthy for herself. Instead of her qipao, obi, fishnets and boots, she opted for her baggy pants and collared blouse. It was something that wasn't too revealing, comfortable to train in, and formal enough. To her disdain, the clothes felt even looser than before.

The butterflies in her stomach began to start fluttering. What if the students didn't like her? Or the staff? Or what if parents were uncomfortable with an outsider teaching their children?

But then she remembered Gaara. His piercing gaze. The absoluteness in his tone of voice. His ability to command.

She took a deep breath to stop her wandering thoughts. ' _Focus at the task at hand,'_ she thought, mentally berating herself, ' _don't lose sight of your goal.'_

* * *

As Tenten stood outside of the Suna Shinobi Academy, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Here she was, going to teach students in this new village while leaving the students she currently had. How were her own students? Did she even have a right to ask? Her heart twinged as she remembered that they technically were not her students anymore.

She entered through the front door where she saw Baki hiding in the shadows.

"Good morning, Baki-san." As she spoke, Baki appeared out in the light.

"Good morning, Tenten-san. Are you ready for your first day teaching?" He looked at her, fully armed as if entering battle. Yet her hands still shook.

"I am ready. I remember the layout of the school because of the tour the other day, but I wanted to arrive early to set up," Tenten responded, thinking about the scrolls in her pocket.

She made a sharp turn and headed down the hallway. Baki was following a few steps behind.

He already gave her a thorough tour the other day, so he was not here to escort her. If not that, then he was here to supervise, to see whether she would make a fatal mistake on her first day. He could either help her or break her.

* * *

Tenten began her first day in the academy observing classes being taught. It brought back memories when she was an aspiring genin, and her dream to emulate her role model Tsunade.

Tenten spent the first half of the day observing students in class. She noticed the classes in Suna were stricter, where outspoken students were automatically punished for their actions. In the academy, shinobi of all levels had to take academic classes, and took paper exams before reaching jounin level.

Once the afternoon sun hit, it was her turn. She would be giving a weapons demonstration to the students. She had heard what other teachers in the past had done when teaching weaponry, but she personally felt that it wasn't enough. Teaching this type of class was more than just having students distinguish the different kinds of weapons and knowing their advantages and disadvantages, but to also learn how to properly wield it.

They were standing in a training ground. The grounds itself was very large, shaped like an amphitheatre which allowed anyone to sit and observe. Luckily for Tenten, the academy in Suna had a smaller student population compared to Konoha, and Tenten felt more relieved that her class wouldn't be too big.

As she scanned the crowd out, she saw students of varying ages. There were some who were extremely young and those who could be Tenten's age. She understood why Gaara was adamant about instilling consistency in the curriculum. In the back she saw Baki skulking in a corner.

She cleared her throat and mentally prepared herself. "Good afternoon, everyone! My name is Tenten, and I will be your instructor on weaponry." Looking around, the students looked disinterested, with the exception of the younger students who wanted to play with sharp metal objects.

"I am here to show you all about the different types of weapons shinobi use and how to wield them. Most shinobi use weapons that hail from their region, which when used in battle against foreign shinobi, gives them the upper advantage. I will be teaching you how to use your knowledge of weapons and engage it in active strategy when battling an opponent."

Silence was met throughout the crowd. Tenten resisted the urge to groan. Why did everything have to be more difficult in Suna compared to Konoha?

Nonetheless, she continued. "On this table, you'll see a wide variety of weapons, some of which you are very familiar with, and others that you may not have seen before. I have encountered each of these while on missions, and I have researched extensively on each one, learning how to forge it by my own hand." She watched several students slowly walk up to the table to look, with a large majority still standing far away from her.

"You might be thinking why I am teaching such a class," she stumbled to find words, realizing she should have done a proper introduction at the beginning of her speech rather than now, "I am a jounin from Konohagakure, and my speciality is in weapons and fūinjutsu." She started unraveling her scrolls to show the students the seals. As the scrolls opened, she could see more of the students get excited, with some audible oohs and ahhs.

She decided how was the time to show the students her techniques. "Once you become good at using weapons and making seals, you can use techniques like this!" She placed two scrolls vertically on the ground, and started to quickly form seals with her hands. "Soshoryuu… Rising Twin Dragons!"

Two dragons made out of smoke rose in the air and Tenten jumped high up, assuming position to throw her weapons. Prior to the demonstration, she had set up targets and training dummies on the training ground to show her aim. As she was throwing her weapons, the students were amazed at how easily she was able to demolish the dummies.

Once she had thrown all the weapons that were sealed on the scrolls and began her descent back to the ground, she made chakra strings from her fingers to pick up some of the weapons. She then threw them to the targets, which landed on the bullseye of each target.

Tenten smiled, impressed with her handiwork. Looking at the students, all the children were running up to her and asking when they could start learning how to do all of her moves.

The older students, on the other hand, were less than impressed.

"You're a jounin and that's all you do?" One student spoke up.

Tenten's head looked to see who was speaking. It was one of the older students. "Jounin from our village are able to do more than just throw a few kunai around. Since when did Konoha get so lax in accepting _anyone_ to be in the upper ranks?" Several others around him was laughing.

She frowned. ' _Don't let them get to you. You knew this was going to happen. You can't let them provoke you. Act calm.'_ Tenten stood ground and waited for the laughter to subside. "Are you done?"

The man jumped down from his seat. "Let's fight… _Sensei_. My puppet against your metal."

At the sound of his threat, she instantly gulped, unsure of what to do. While she would not normally turn down the offer to spar, she did not want to give the students the impression of being impulsive at the sound of a threat. The entire time, she was looking at Baki, watching for any change in facial expression. To her dissatisfaction, the older man remained calm and astute.

"So, are you going to fight me or what? I thought you're supposed to be some big hotshot that has come from another village to help us. Clearly you can't, so just go back home to where you belong. We don't need you here." the student dismissively said.

From the rest of the students, she could hear whispers all around. It reminded her of when she was in Konoha walking down the streets and she could hear the old women gossiping about her. Her chest began to tighten and her heart rate began to rise just standing in front of the students.

Another girl shouted, "I've heard about you- you're the girl that Sabaku no Temari defeated. I heard the battle was no more than three minutes. My older sister told me about it. How can you even show your face in this village? Have you no shame?"

She knew it. Someone would call her out on her humiliating defeat during her first time taking the chuunin exams. Even with an extra year of preparation, she was still unable to make it past the preliminaries.

The jeering began to increase in volume and participation. She could hear people telling her to go home and that she was not wanted in Suna. That she was worth nothing without the rest of the Konoha shinobi to help her.

Suddenly the ground began to shake.

"Enough!"

Silence spread throughout the training grounds, students becoming increasingly afraid of the ground shaking and rising.

That voice. It had to be him, coming to her rescue yet once again.

It was Gaara.

His green eyes stared at the students. "Have you not been trained properly? When someone is trying to teach you, you instantly reject it because they aren't from the same nation?"

He paused before speaking again. "How do you expect to represent and defend our village if you are all acting uncivilized? Your actions in the past ten minutes have destroyed the peace we have dedicated years to build."

Tenten's eyes widened. He had been here all this time? "Gaara-sama," she interjected, "it's okay. Thank you for your help, but it'll be fine."

"It is not fine." He turned to her. "This is far from fine. I apologize on behalf of everyone here for their actions and slander." He bowed.

At the sight of the Kazekage bowing, all the students bowed to Tenten in respect.

"Ah… Gaara-sama, please rise," she faltered, not being able to find the words she wanted to say. She bowed to Gaara in response, hoping her action would suffice in lieu of words.

Gaara rose from his position and looked at Tenten before turning to look at the students. "Being a shinobi is more than just power and skill. It is also about determination, grace, humility and diplomacy. Each of you is to represent Suna when you embark on missions and work with other villages. You do not dwell on your losses, but work harder towards your future goal to improve. You all will do well learning from Tenten."

After a final look at the students, he walked out of the training grounds, Baki following him not too far behind.

Tenten inwardly groaned. The council was testing her, and she had failed miserably.

* * *

The lecture she expected did not come.

She full-heartedly anticipated a scolding from either Gaara or one of the council members about her behavior and failure to maintain her class.

But it never happened. Two days passed and she had hardly come into contact with anyone with the exception of students and staff at the academy.

After the debacle with Gaara's interference, she felt that she had instantly gained respect with everyone within the school. It was as if because Gaara had asserted his dominance, it was assumed she was under his protection. If Tenten was harmed in any way, they would have to deal with Gaara.

At the thought of that, Tenten smirked. While she had wanted to be fully independent without another's aid, it seemed very much like when Neji would come to her defense during battles. She would protect his blind spot from afar, and he would cover her whenever she was caught off-guard or when long-range attacks would prove fruitless.

 _Neji._ Everything went back to him.

Shinobi were not supposed to have feelings. Everything was to be repressed so that one could protect your village and all its civilians. In essence, the shinobi way mandated a person to give up their life and dedicate it to the Kage and the village.

But somewhere in her heart, there were repressed feelings that she never had a chance to express. Whether they were words or actions, she could not tell, but they were weighing down on both her heart and mind. So many things she had wanted to say to him after the war when they emerged victorious and alive, but that opportunity slipped away before her eyes.

At the time when she found out the news of Neji's passing, she refused to openly cry. She forced herself to refrain from superfluous sentiment in public areas as it would only distract her from the situation at hand. After the war, once she reached her home in Konoha, she had sobbed by herself in the comfort of her own room.

She would not actively admit it, but she felt a slight sense of disdain for Naruto and Hinata. They were both capable shinobi, and yet it was Neji who sacrificed his life for them. Life was truly cruel.

Tenten coughed and put her hand to her chest. Her throat felt itchy and she actively gulped for fresh air. Is this what it felt like to experience remorse- to actively repress the tears that have been trying to come out?

She walked out of the academy and looked to the sky. It was mid afternoon, and there was hardly anyone on the streets, sand blowing around in the air. After debating what do to pass the time, she decided to train. Temari was en route to Konoha to deliver paperwork and to discuss wedding details, resulting in Tenten being free for a few days until the blonde came back.

* * *

After stretching and doing a jog around the training ground, she was finally ready to train.

Training, she felt, was the only time she could feel genuinely herself.

After doing target practice and using up the weapons concealed in her scrolls, she decided that now was the time to try her newest weapon: the _Bashōsen_.

Although she could not use it for battle at this point in her shinobi career due to it depleting her chakra at an exponential rate, she had hoped that with time she would develop a tolerance in wielding it. While the fan had the ability to attack using five different elements, Tenten had been able to master two: coil of wind and coil of fire.

In order to properly use it, she found that she needed to find a way to envision the individual element. For wind, she referenced the time she was utterly defeated by Temari and her wind tunnel. The harshness of the air that left deep cuts all over her body.

When she thought of fire, she imagined of her _Bakuryūgeki,_ the exploding dragon strike where she unsealed her flaming dragon. She thought of the heat against her skin, the initial feelings of joy at the success of the sealing, and most importantly, the impact that the dragon had when used against her enemies.

But unfortunately for water, lightning and earth, she was having a harder time than she expected. Switching from one element to another was even more difficult. While others had advised her never to use it, she would discreetly use it in training sessions when people weren't watching. It was a fun challenge for her, and it successfully got her mind away from other thoughts.

Soon enough, she noticed the air feeling thicker and thicker, the sand suddenly flying around her. She looked around to see if there was anyone watching, but she couldn't detect anyone else's chakra except her own.

' _There's a sandstorm, that's why no one was outside earlier this afternoon. I'm such an idiot!'_

As the sand continued whipping around the training grounds and around her face, Tenten found it increasingly more difficult to view her surroundings. Gales of wind came in, blowing more sand in her direction, hitting her face.

She quickly attempted to run as fast as she could, but found herself unable to move.

Looking to her right, she could smell a light aroma, but could not pinpoint what it was. The last time she ever felt something similar was when she was caught in the middle of a genjutsu when on a mission.

Reaching for her pocket, she grabbed a kunai and slit the palm of her hand, hoping that the pain would allow her to refocus her attention to locating a place for shelter until the storm passed. Despite feeling the pain, she was still not able to move. Instead, the pain exponentially increased and spread throughout her body.

She found herself incapable of moving her hand, the first kunai dropped as she let go, and she attempted to slowly reach for another in her holster. This time she stabbed her thigh, drastically attempting to have her mind and body recenter its attention.

It did not help. She looked down at her bleeding thigh and realized she could not feel any pain. Instead of the intense wave of pain her body went through the first instance, her body now felt as though it was completely numb. It became clear to her that the combination of the sandstorm, her depleted chakra and whatever was inflicting this pain was deadly.

Would this be the way she left? She had always imagined her death being in the middle of battle, sacrificing her life for her teammates, or for the sake of her village. Instead, she would die while in the middle of training. Only absolute amateurs would do such a thing. Perhaps those students were right, she was not fit to be a jounin.

She fell to the ground.

* * *

In the Kazekage tower, a door slowly creaked open.

Without looking up, he sighed at the man entering the room. "What took you so long?"

"Yo! Yeesh, sorry I'm late, these damned allergies are killing me. Needed to pick up some meds from the hospital to alleviate these symptoms."

The man remained looking at his work, scribbling down a few notes. "Hn. You're still two hours late to our meeting. Just because you happen to be my brother doesn't mean that you can casually walk in here late."

"Well you can't get angry at me for that. Took me awhile to get here with the sandstorm too. Only makes the allergies even worse with the wind blowing around all those flowers."

He looked up, genuinely confused. "Sandstorm?"

"Look outside, there's a massive sandstorm happening right now. Have you not left the office all day?"

The man got out of his office chair, opened the office curtains and saw the storm. The sound of wind hitting the windows resounded through the office, with sand obscuring the view of the whole village. He grimaced at the sight, dreading the aftermath of the storm and assessing the amount of damage that may occur.

"It's pretty bad. No one in their right mind would be outside. Unless they had no idea about the storm happening today and of the flowers."

A moment passed in silence. "Hey, you wouldn't think that…"

Brown stared at green. And he was gone.

* * *

 **And that's it! Been really busy recently with family visiting and work picking up, so I haven't really dedicated time to sitting down in front of my laptop and writing. Trying to keep up with the goal of publishing weekly! What I ideally try to do is not submit a chapter until I've begun writing the next.**

 **I know that this was such a cliffhanger- can't help it, I love ambiguous endings like this from time to time. I wanted the last part to be as such. And then hopefully the next chapter or so will be able to answer all of your questions!**

 **Let me know what you all think. Much thanks for the love! Tune into the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

 **Thank you for all the love~ Please enjoy this new chapter! It's a bit longer, since I had some down time to write more!**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto is solely the property of Masashi Kishimoto. Any references to Shippuden episode 428 and the Infinite Tsukufyomi are also not mine.**

* * *

She could feel a firm set of hands resting upon her shoulders.

"It's okay. The fact that I am alive and that the world is safe… it's all thanks to you."

She opened her eyes.

* * *

Tenten groggily began to assess her surroundings. She could hear the faint beeping of machinery next to her, and out of the corner of her eye saw some tubes and wires. Were those connected to her?

On her right, a man dozing off in a chair. She squinted her eyes to try and get a better view, but her vision was still too blurry to make anything out.

Towards her left, she heard the faint sound of a door opening, and the shuffling of footsteps from a nurse entering the room. "Tenten-san, you're awake! I will go and notify a doctor immediately!"

At the sound of the nurse's voice the man in the chair woke up. He looked up at Tenten, who was still trying to make out her surroundings.

"... Kankuro-san?" She timidly asked, her voice hoarse from lack of usage.

"Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling? You've been out for about five days now. We've notified your village. Once you have your check up, I'll send a message out to Konoha to confirm you are awake and stable."

Five days. She was out a whole five days because of her idiotic decision to train in the middle of a sandstorm.

"Thank you, Kankuro-san, I really appreciate it. Please tell them not to worry about me." She resisted the urge to comment that no one would really be worried about her wellbeing, save the exceptions of Lee and Gai.

The puppeteer could sense the tiredness and hesitation in her voice. "Well, I'm going to go and let the others know you're okay. Shikamaru is here as well." He turned to leave the room, giving the kunoichi a single grin and wave before exiting.

Tenten mustered the best smile she could, avoiding to actively wince in pain. Tears slowly fell from her face as both her body and heart ached.

* * *

"Tenten, are you out of your mind? You could have died out there!"

The girl in question just stared out into the window, avoiding the piercing gaze of her former Konoha 11 teammate.

"They said your heart stopped three times! None of this has ever happened in any of your missions, but the minute you decide to pack up and move to another village, you almost die while training!"

"Shikamaru, calm down. You've never stressed out this much before, so don't start now." Tenten tried to reassure him, but the sound of his deep heaving breaths indicated she was not successfully alleviating any pressure.

"The sandstorm was one thing, but the flowers? Did nobody warn you about those?"

She shook her head. Those damned flowers. In retrospect, she should had been surprised to see so many flowers growing in the middle of the desert, but instead she ignored them for days. Who would have known that any kind of close physical or olfactory contact would induce a severe reaction due to the toxins? To anyone who lived in Suna, their bodies were immune to the flower's toxins, and for some, they only generated a mild allergic reaction. According to her doctor, the heavy winds from the storm exacerbated her symptoms.

Instead of arguing back, Tenten gave a slight smile. "I've never seen you so expressive before. Temari must be rubbing off of you," she exhaled. "It must be nice, huh?"

"Tenten…" Shikamaru drifted off. "Don't tell me you decided to move to Suna to run away from your problems." At the sound of the word 'problems', the brunette kunoichi perked up, attempted to prop herself up on the bed, but struggled to move. Shikamaru rushed forward to support her back and gently moved her up on the bed, adjusting her pillows. She nodded in thanks.

She sighed. "Is that what everyone thinks? That I'm just running away?"

"No one will say anything until you tell them the truth. But Lee is worried. When I told him the news, he quickly gave me a backpack's worth of pills and herbs." The shinobi made air quotes while speaking, "to rejuvenate your everlasting youth in such trying times."

Tenten laughed, but found it difficult to breathe, causing the man more alarm. "I'm fine, Shikamaru, don't worry about me too much. If anything, I'm so happy that you came to see me. Let's play a game of Shogi before you leave."

* * *

It had been almost a full day since she had woken up. The doctors instructed that she stay overnight for observation before being discharged, so she spent the rest of her day napping and talking to those who had decided to visit.

The nurse who did her night checkup had recommended her to get a full night's sleep, but instead Tenten remained restless. She had already slept for five days, why would she need more? She looked at her window, admiring the clear night sky.

She heard her door slowly open and close. Without turning to look to see who it was, she spoke. "Good evening, Kazekage-sama. To what do I owe this visit? It's after visiting hours."

Gaara stared at Tenten, who refused to look him in the face. "No need for such formality. I would have come to visit earlier, but I admittedly was busy with meetings and paperwork."

"My apologies if you and your family had to do any extra work on my behalf. I don't mean to burden you all."

"Not at all. If anything, it's just the usual. I hardly have any free time these days, but if this is what it takes to maintain the peace, then so be it." Gaara lightly smiled, but she still did not turn back to him.

After a few moments spent in silence, the Konoha kunoichi finally turned to look at him, her face stained with the remnants of her tears. "You should really consider adding something about the flora in Suna onto your tour brochures. That way people know when to not travel here, you know?" She laughed, leading her into a coughing fit.

Gaara's eyes widened. He had received reports about Tenten's collapse and her condition, but only after seeing it with his own eyes could he fathom the damage inflicted upon her. He instinctively leaned forward in alarm to help, but realized he was unsure what appropriate action to take and attempted to remain composed. Upon a second look, he could see her pallid complexion and the glazed look over her eyes.

"I'll think about it. Unfortunately, while we are at peace with other nations, it doesn't necessarily mean that our nation is plentiful; putting something like that on a travel guide would only prevent people from traveling to our village," he chuckled, hoping she would appreciate the lighthearted gesture. She returned a small smile in return.

Tenten turned to him and gestured to the chair beside her bed. "Please sit, it feels awkward to have you stand." Gaara removed the small gourd hanging from his waistbelt and sat down in the chair.

"Kaze... G-Gaara-sama," she began, "I don't know what to say. You and your siblings have done so much for me already, and this opportunity to be a part of your community has been really great… but…" she paused, hesitating to place the right words.

"But what?"

"I feel as though I have been a burden to everyone. When it comes to matters with the council, I am rash and immature. I can't even handle teaching your students, as you can easily see. Is it really worth keeping me around? Even in such times as now, I relied on Kankuro-san to rescue me from the sandstorm."

His eyes squinted together. "Kankuro saved you?"

She nodded. "It seems so. I personally cannot remember anything, but when I woke up, he was sitting and sleeping on that chair. I did not have a chance to ask him more details, but regardless, I find myself forever grateful for his efforts."

The redhead crossed his arms and legs as he leaned back into the chair. "I see."

Tenten continued, "if there is anything at all I can do to repay the favor and all the help you all have given me, please let me know. I realize that I haven't been helpful but…"

"If you are not confident in yourself, then how will you find yourself doing your best in anything?"

'Even at my lowest, he knows exactly where my weakest points are.' She regretfully thought. 'And as always, he is right.'

"I… I'm..." She began stuttering, unable to locate the words she had wanted to say.

"You are the Weapons Mistress of Konoha. Only you know your true achievements. Why do you have the council and the academy dictate who you are and what you can do? If you are not confident in the job, then how will you be able to teach students to hone their skills? How can you enable diplomacy between Konoha and Suna? And ultimately, how will you love yourself?"

She had no response. A few moments were spent in silence until she heard the sound of a chair against the floor, the soft sounds of footsteps, and a door gently closing.

All that could be heard afterwards was the sounds of her soft cries.

* * *

The next time she opened her eyes, it was morning.

There was a letter addressed with her name on her nightstand. She groggily leaned over to pick it up, noticing it was slightly easier to move. When she opened the envelope she saw that she got a letter from Lee.

 _ **Tenten!**_

 _ **I have heard the terrible news about you from the Hokage and Shikamaru! I wish I could be there to help you recuperate in such trying times!**_

 _ **But alas, I find myself busy helping Gai-sensei with his physical therapy and training your students! They have their academy exam coming up! They miss you very much, and ask about you all the time.**_

 _ **I know you will bounce back into the youthful Tenten you always were, running around and making sure Gai-sensei, Neji and I are okay. Just know that this will pass too.**_

 _ **Once I find some free time, I will come to visit you! They say the journey to Suna will take three days- I will make it there in 1.5!**_

 _ **-Lee**_

 _ **P.S.: I sent along a pack of herbs and pills with Shikamaru and they are yours to take! Make sure you take the pills 2-3 times a day! And there are supplements for you to take before and after trainings so you can recover as fast as possible!**_

Tenten read the letter over and over again, laughing at Lee's handwriting and overall tone of the note. To her, she could imagine him saying the contents in person, and it instantly made her reminisce about her time in Team Gai.

She peeked into the envelope to find two pictures enclosed. It was a team picture with her students and Lee, one serious picture and one funny picture. On the back of the serious picture contained messages from Jun, Yukio and Shizko thanking her for her training and telling her that they will make her proud as Konoha shinobi. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she read the students' messages, and wished that she could be home to oversee their progress.

Turning over the second picture, she noticed a caption written in Lee's scrawl: 'Strike a Tenten pose!' She took another look at the photo and noticed that the students did very cutesy poses and Lee made a more risqué and dramatic expression. She rolled her eyes and spoke out, "Lee, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

An outside voice disturbed her thoughts. "Someone seems to be more spirited today." The voice chuckled, giving off a rich alto timbre.

Tenten took a look and saw Temari, Shikamaru and Kankuro standing right beside her bedside.

"Ano… how long you've been there?"

Kankuro chuckled. "Not long at all. Ignore my sister, she's just annoyed that she's not in the spotlight of attention right now."

Temari smacked him on the back of the puppeteer's head. "Hey! That's not true at all! Stop lying through your teeth!" At the sight of sibling banter, Shikamaru sighed. As an only child, he would never understand sibling dynamics, and felt it would be a waste of time to start now.

Tenten laughed and then began coughing again, and all three visitors rushed to her, barraging her with various questions of what she needed. Once the coughing settled, the brunette nodded and tried to smile. "What I really want to do is leave this place, if I could be completely honest with you."

Shikamaru smiled. "And that's what we are here for. You're officially discharged! The doctors would like you to take home an oxygen tank to help you breathe as you're walking around. As for the wound on your thigh, you'll slowly have to regain strength on your leg, so no training for a while until you feel fully recovered. That's an order." He sighed and looked at her. "I know it'll be a drag for you to not do anything, but honestly that's the ideal life right there."

At the prospect of leaving, Tenten became extremely elated. "Oh my gosh. I can leave!"

Temari interjected. "Not so fast, don't think that you're off the hook and you can do whatever you want. You'll remain at home in the apartment complex until further notice. Just until you can get adjusted to the climate here better. We still have pretty bad winds here and the flowers will only make your symptoms worse. In addition, we have scheduled caretakers to visit you twice a day to check on you. Your presence with the council will not be necessary at this time, and the academy isn't holding any outdoor trainings until the sandstorm fully passes."

Tenten grimaced. Of course her discharge had to come at a price. She would not be in the hospital, but instead stuck in her home.

The brunette kunoichi nodded. "I understand. It'll take me a bit to get my strength back, so I am grateful to you and your family for helping me at this time. And I am very happy that Shikamaru came to check on me. Please deliver the good news to everyone back home that I am doing well."

Temari handed her a bag that contained some of her own clothing. "I assume you wouldn't want to wear the hospital gown when leaving, so here are some of my old clothes you can borrow in the meantime. I think these should fit."

* * *

As she began to dress herself, she was aware of just how the clothes did not fit at all. Temari had a curvaceous figure, whereas Tenten found herself to be lankier. When she put the obi on, she stared at herself in the mirror as she cinched her waist to the tightest she could possibly make it. Doing so only made her look more uncomfortable.

Since when did she lose that much weight? She could hardly recognize her reflection. While staring at the mirror, she began unconsciously walking closer and closer to the glass, tenderly putting her hands towards her reflection's face. Just who was she? This was not Tenten, just a mere shadow of her former self.

At the thought of her shadow, Her thoughts jogged back to the three people waiting outside for her. She put on her sandals and hurried out, trying to forget the image in the looking glass.

* * *

"You should have seen her, she looked like a total stick. She couldn't have lost all that weight in the matter of a few days. There's something going on that you're not telling us!"

Gaara closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, trying to ignore the shrill female voice scolding him. He already had so much to do, considering his day mostly consisted of assigning genin and chuunin on D-ranked missions to get rid of those damned flowers in the village instead of focusing on his own work.

He looked up to see the angry faces of his older brother and sister, with his future brother-in-law hovering in the back of the room towards the door.

The redhead focused his gaze on his siblings. "I don't know what you're talking about. If you have any issues, you should talk to Tenten directly."

"Gaara, she doesn't look good. Remember when we saw her and fuzzy brow guy the last time we were in Konoha for the Five Kage Conference and they were giving us the tour? We had mentioned that she acted different than before, more hesitant than usual."

At the sound of Kankuro's statement, Shikamaru's attention piqued. "Oh? What could you be talking about now?" The Konoha-nin walked up to the group and looked to the three of them, expecting a response.

The siblings all stared at each other, not willing to speak up and answer the question.

Shikamaru sighed again and put his hands behind his head. "Well, you would do best to listen to your younger brother. If you have any questions at all, just ask Tenten. I don't know the full story or whatever, but she's been having a hard time coping with the war. More difficult of a time than anyone else I know. She doesn't have any family that I know of, and to top it all off, the guy who is her teammate and best friend died. If you put the pieces together I think the three of you should be able to come up with something…" The shadow user turned around and walked out the door, not wanting to add more information.

The three siblings looked at each other, not wanting to break the silence. Within the silence held guilt and regret to being ignorant of the details.

Temari was the first to speak up. "You knew, didn't you?" she whispered, her gaze pointed at Gaara.

Gaara nodded. "I had a feeling. She's adamant about not being a burden to anyone, and she doesn't want to talk, so I don't want to force her. We'll let her go at her own pace."

Kankuro nodded. "Makes sense now. She doesn't want to be a hinderance and you didn't want to have us purposefully pity her. But if you knew she isn't a good fit for the job, then why acquiesce?"

Pulling out a folder, Gaara began to answer Kankuro's question. "This file was given to me by the Sixth Hokage in confidence. It contains all the info needed for me to know about Tenten. Based off of what's in here and what I personally know about her, she's a good fit for the job. She'll just need time. And we have a good amount of that."

* * *

 _Tick tock tick tock._

Tenten always considered herself to be relatively patient, especially when it came to things like teaching students or dealing with the antics of Team Gai.

But this? This was her own personal hell if there was ever such a thing. She laid on her side in her bed, staring at the clock by her nightstand. It seemed as though time was going slower in her room than anywhere else.

Twice a day nurses visited her apartment. The first nurse was in charge of monitoring morning vitals and doing physical therapy with Tenten. And every evening the second nurse would come in to do a nightly checkup and help her around the apartment before she went to bed.

Each hour was slower than the previous. Because of the storm, there had been some sand that collected in her lungs, effectively making it more difficult to breathe. According to the nurses, the wound on her thigh was healing, but she needed some mild physical therapy before being approved for training and missions.

The feeling of being an invalid was extremely unfamiliar to her. In most cases if she was ever sick or needed any medical care, she would recover in three days or less. Tenten was used to taking care of herself, and having constant care was an unfamiliar concept.

She heard a knock on the door. "Come in, its unlocked!"

"You should really lock your doors, otherwise troublesome people will just waltz in. Like me."

Tenten adjusted her position on the bed, moving up to properly sit on the bed. "Gomen, I had thought you would be the night nurse. No one visits me, so I keep it unlocked at the times I know nurses will be visiting."

Shikamaru waved at her. "Hm. Well I came to drop off the backpack that Lee had made for you. Let me tell you how annoying it was to carry this whole thing, I could have sworn he put some weights in the bag or something."

She took the bag from him and opened it. Inside were a series of small bags of assorted pills and herbs, with notes attached to each bag consisting of lists of contents and appropriate dosages.

As Tenten and Shikamaru went over the contents, Shikamaru found himself surprised at the level of detail Lee had put in. "I didn't realize Lee knew so much about medicines…"

Tenten gave a weak smile. "After the whole Sasuke debacle, Lee took it upon himself to start learning more about traditional medicines to impress Sakura. He had wanted to prove to her that she can depend on him. Even though they never would have worked out, at least Lee now has a new hobby besides training."

"Wow that guy doesn't know when to give up, does he?"

The brunette kunoichi laughed and shook her head. "He and Gai-sensei always took things to the next level. Doesn't help that Neji was also super determined about trainings and self-improvement. It led to a lot of crazy training sessions!" She paused before adding, "but in a way, it really was a good thing for him. He found a new passion, and he's been using this skill to help find Gai-sensei some remedies for his pain."

Shikamaru nodded his head. After a few moments of silence while leafing through the backpack, he was plagued with thoughts on whether or not to discuss the conversation he had this afternoon with the sand siblings. While he wanted answers to everything that was happening, he opted not to. The answers would come in their own time.

While deciding on the best strategy to approach the issue, Tenten's voice had him reshift his attention. "Ne, Shikamaru, when are you getting married to Temari? Have you both decided on a date yet?"

Even in times when she was unwell, Tenten always chose to focus on others rather than herself. The man smiled and looked down on the bed he was sitting on, pondering in thought. "Well that's the second reason I came to Suna," he began saying while playing around with the comforter on the bed. "I wanted to meet the council to discuss wedding dates and plans. For the sake of Konoha-Suna relations, we have to make the transition very smooth. But…"

Tenten perked up at his drifting thought. "But what?"

"I don't know… it's just such a drag. The whole thing about getting married, doing all the paperwork and going through with the ceremony. Granted, it won't be as big of an affair as Naruto and Hinata, but there's a lot I need to do, especially for the Nara clan. Marrying a foreigner isn't really typical for my family."

Her heart sank, looking at Shikamaru's sad expression. "Do you think that you both may be having second thoughts about the engagement?" She whispered.

"No… no, it's not like that. I was just thinking when I was in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, I was saying that marriage wasn't worth it, after seeing Asuma and Kurenai take care of the baby and my parents arguing. Temari was with me, she had agreed it would be troublesome and we walked off in separate directions. It's stupid for me to be thinking about it, but… the genjutsu is supposed to reveal your truest desires… so what if that's what I really want and I'm just doing this for appearances?"

"As always, Shika," Tenten giggled, using her nickname for him. "You're overthinking everything just like the strategist you are!" The man in question raised an eyebrow to her before she resumed, "love shouldn't be something to think about. It just… happens."

"Heh, you sound just like Neji with your 'it's just fate' talk." He quickly bit his tongue, afraid he had unintentionally provoked her.

She looked out to the window on the side and sighed, seeming relatively unfazed at his comment. "I guess so… but if you think about it, this war ultimately brought people together. Not just in terms of the Allied Shinobi Forces, but also people forming relationships with one another." Tenten turned back to look at Shikamaru. "Just look at Naruto and Hinata, Sai and Ino, Choji and Karui… Know that love goes both ways, that the amount of effort you're putting in now is being reciprocated by Temari, and that this will all pay off long-term." She grinned at Shikamaru who sighed in response.

"I hate it when you're right."

"I know, I know- who would have thought someone like me could effectively reason with a 200 IQ genius? Now as a reward, let's play some Shogi. You're going down!" She pointed to her desk where a complete set sat.

"Fine, fine, just know you're going to lose!"

Laughter could be heard throughout the room.

* * *

From afar, a fleeting glimpse of purple and crimson could be seen bounding down the hallway.

* * *

 **Super long chapter this time! Definitely more dialogue heavy than I had expected, but after a slightly shorter chapter last week, I figured I should amp it up with some extra content this week!**

 **When I envisioned this story, I imagine all the characters as young adults, being more introspective and attempting to be 'mature' when adjusting to being an adult. That in itself is an obstacle (trust me, as a young working professional I know…), and everyone deals with stress, pain and emotions differently. And the fact that all these characters have experienced so much in their life thus far, it must be even more difficult to come to terms with things. So I hope that you all will understand how I believe everyone interprets these topics in the story!**

 **As always, I appreciate all the love that I get from your follows, favorites and comments (in both English and Spanish!)! You guys are what motivate me. It's been a relaxing activity that I do every night before bed to get my mind off of work and life! Each night I try to write a little bit, and then spend more time editing!**

 **Considering a more Gaara-centric chapter in the near future… hmmm what do you guys think?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

 **Changed the perspective this chapter! Please enjoy! Dabbling in some side stories here as well… so let's see how this goes!**

 **Disclaimer:** **Naruto is solely the property of Masashi Kishimoto.** _ **Sakura Hiden**_ **is the property of Tomohito Ōsaki and Masashi Kishimoto, and** _ **Gaara Hiden**_ **is Ukyō Kodachi and Masashi Kishimoto's, not mine.**

* * *

When would this damned headache go away?

He put two fingers to his temples and slowly began massaging them. The slight amount of pressure provided some temporary relief, but the minute he began focusing back onto his work, the migraine would only come back.

Between managing Suna's affairs, working with the council on Temari and Shikamaru's engagement, and finding funding to commence various opportunities to help shinobi and their families, it was quite evident that Gaara's sanity was being stretched thin.

One large initiative he was working towards was having Sakura and Ino come to Sunagakure to start their mental health clinic. Gaara had received reports of the widespread success the clinic had in Konoha, and he was eager to see how it would help shinobi and civilians in his village overcome their post-traumatic stress. The war had truly impacted everyone, and as Kazekage, he intended to dedicate time towards providing ways for everyone to heal.

Then there was Temari's wedding. Despite her obstinateness and frequent threats to the council, they were refusing to budge on confirming the wedding date, as neither he nor Kankuro were married. In the case that Temari and Shikamaru had a child, that child had the rights to not only become the future head of the Nara clan, but also the Kazekage, which was an issue. It was more of a dilemma for the council than for Gaara and Kankuro, which only added extra stress on Temari and Shikamaru on the back end.

Personally, Gaara had never put too much thought into his own marriage prospects. Despite the admirers and fan clubs he had acquired in recent years, he never had the time to think about getting married. Traditionally such arrangements were done by the council to ensure that the Kazekage's spouse was suitable. Despite this, he assumed that no woman would want to settle down with him, let alone pursue a romantic relationship, so he pushed away such fantasies. After all, who would want to be associated with someone who was once an uncontrollable murderer?

Despite his many victories and achievements, there were still people who were skeptical of Gaara. He could tell by the looks people gave him as he walked down the streets of his village that he was not completely trusted, particularly by those in older generations. While he no longer had to actively fear being assassinated, he instinctively could feel a tinge of disdain or consternation from the people he interacted with.

And lastly, there was the issue about Tenten's health. For days, he received reports multiple times a day with updates on her condition. He assigned Kankuro and Temari on rotation, guarding Tenten in her room as she recovered. The council reprimanded him on his uncouth behavior, that the Kazekage himself should not go to such lengths to make sure a citizen was okay, especially one who was a nonnative female. A rumor could spread, potentially degrading his image further.

He could not admit it, but when he was sitting in the hospital room observing Tenten, he actively pushed away the memory of when he was in the hospital with another member of Team Gai. At that time many years ago, instead of wanting to protect, he had the urge to kill- to finish off what he had started. While the bloodlust had disappeared, guilt appeared in its place.

Perhaps this was why people were scared of him. First impressions and past memories would never truly fade away.

* * *

While nursing his headache, which seemed to be only getting worse, he had decided that the best decision would be to go home and get some well-deserved rest.

As he walked back to his room in the apartment complex, he saw a figure in lavender hovering over a door. He walked up to the person, trying to be as discreet as possible.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The person turned to look and her eyes widened. Why would Temari of all people be trying to eavesdrop on a conversation? If anything, she would just ram the door down with her fan and demand answers. He smirked while remembering a dramatic recount of the time she had blown open the Rokudaime Hokage's door to find Shikamaru's whereabouts after a mission gone wrong.

"N-nothing at all, you don't see anything! D-don't you have work to do?" A pale pink blush appeared on her cheeks.

Gaara gave as best of a quizzical look as he could muster, resisting the urge to grunt in pain from his headache. "I decided to call it a night. What are you honestly doing." After a few seconds, he realized that he was standing outside of Tenten's door, and that his sister was trying to listen into a conversation happening inside the brunette's room.

"Shikamaru is in there."

The redhead turned to his older sister. "Don't tell me you're jealous," phrasing it as a statement rather than a question.

"N-n-nooooo, why would I be? I just happened to see him walking into the room and then their voices got really quiet so…"

He sighed. Since when was his sister the jealous type? Were all women in a relationship like this? "So you were concerned."

"Yeah, but I heard voices, and I was trying to figure out the conversation topic until you just had to walk down the hall and catch me at a bad time!"

"Well, what did you hear?"

The blonde looked down on the ground, avoiding her youngest brother's piercing gaze. "I heard that he was reconsidering marrying me."

Gaara's eyes widened. Was all of these discussions between the Suna and Konoha councils really taking that much of a toll on the two of them? So much that Shikamaru would reconsider marriage?

He was going to open his mouth to ask another question until he felt a hand firmly against his face. "Shut up," Temari whispered, "I can hear them."

" _Love shouldn't be something to think about. It just… happens."_

' _Was that Tenten's voice'_ , he thought. It seemed quieter than what he remembered in previous encounters.

" _Heh, you sound just like Neji with your 'it's just fate' talk."_

" _I guess so… but if you think about it, this war ultimately brought people together. Not just in terms of the Allied Shinobi Alliance, but also people forming relationships with one another. Just look at Naruto and Hinata, Sai and Ino, Choji and Karui…_ _Know that love goes both ways, that the amount of effort you're putting in now is being reciprocated by Temari, and that this will all pay off in the long-term."_

As he heard the two converse, he discovered a newfound appreciation for Shikamaru and Tenten. While he did not realize that the two of them were close enough to discuss such personal matters, he was content that Tenten was able to reframe the situation to show that marriage with Temari would work out. She had managed to convince him that putting in effort- something that is typically out of the ordinary for the shadow manipulator- would truly make him happy.

At a side glance, he could see his sister smiling, the pink blush continuing to glow.

"Did you get the answer that you wanted?"

She nodded in agreement. They stepped away from the door and walked down to their own separate rooms in silence.

* * *

"Ahhhh, how long has it been since the three of us have sat together and not for work?"

The three sand siblings sat together in a private room at a local tea house. Shikamaru had departed for Konoha earlier that morning, and after his departure, the three decided to convene together over tea. It was decided that Shikamaru would come back to Suna in one month to deliver a complete treaty with details of their engagement with approval from both the Konoha council and the Nara clan.

"It's been a while hasn't it." Gaara looked down into his cup, focusing on the dark green remnants of tea leaves scattered on the bottom.

"Well Temari has been busy settling in with lover-boy, and you're too preoccupied cuddling your paperwork, and I've been…"

"You've been doing what? Spooning with your puppets? Hooking up with random girls?" Temari snorted before taking a sip of tea. "If anything, you're the one constantly disappearing."

"Hey, I'll tell you I've been busy! Between patrolling, training our guards and upgrading my puppets, I've been working!" Kankuro pouted.

Gaara looked at his older brother and sister. When he was a child, he could never envision having such a relationship with his siblings, and now he found himself eternally grateful that he had such a family for a support system. He couldn't deny it, he truly was fortunate. As he was sipping his tea, Gaara hid a small smile.

Temari and Gaara stopped bickering. "Gaara," Temari began, "why are you smiling?"

The brother in question looked up and shook his head. "It's nothing. This is nice. If this was just a few years ago, I couldn't imagine us being in the same room laughing and joking around."

The room became enveloped in silence.

"Gaara… you know that we're always here for you. We are here for each other," Temari stated. "That will never change, regardless where the three of us end up."

Kankuro spoke up this time. "Yo… Don't think such negative thoughts. What matters is that we are here right now."

"Of course, you're both right."

A pause took over the room, the sound of Temari pouring tea for herself and her brothers resounding among the three.

* * *

For two hours, the aches had went away. He had spent those two hours casually drinking tea and talking with his siblings. There was no mention of work or duty, but rather catching up and listening to gossip that Temari had learned of during her visit to Konoha.

As he entered his office, he stared at the large piles of paperwork that awaited him. On his desk, a small envelope with his name. He walked to his desk and opened the letter.

 _ **Gaara! Long time no see! I'll be coming over to Suna to tend to Tenten. Thank you for your care, and I hope to have time to catch up with you! -Lee**_

He smiled and put the note down on his desk. Beside the note rested a folder that he had never seen before. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to open it, resisting the urge to leave it on his desk and pretend he did not see anything.

He regretted reading it.

* * *

If there was one thing Gaara could never fully understand, it would be the reason why people needed and enjoyed sleep.

He could tell that when his sister did not get enough sleep, it would set the tone as to how cranky she would be for the entire day. If Kankuro did not sleep, then he became sloppy and careless with his trainings. Beyond those basic observations, he could not comprehend anything else.

In theory, with Shukaku extracted, he should be able to sleep as much as he wanted. But years upon years of insomnia had become ingrained into his daily routine. He could never sleep for more than three hours- if he ever entered a deep sleep, he would go through a series of fits both in his dreams and in reality.

Grotesque imagery of blood stains, the sound of sand compacting and breaking joints, and the screams of victims were burned into his mind. Any time he had a dream, there was a recurring theme of those close to him dying at the hand of his victims. Sometimes he would envision the battle between him and his father, where sometimes he would be the victor and others he would die buried in the ground by his own sand.

Perhaps this was his chance at penitence. This is what he deserved after thoughtlessly murdering people to slake his lust for murder. He had gotten away ruining people's lives for years, and now he would pay the price by not experiencing the luxury of a basic human need.

Because he wasn't human. He was at one point of his life a jinchuuriki. A mere vessel to hold a dangerous demon. A sacrifice to be used to harbor a dangerous entity that would give him misery for the rest of his life.

The pain surged once more, this time spreading throughout his body, causing his hands to shake. He slowly walked to his desk and reached for medicine for him to take. As the pills went through his system, he took a deep breath and attempted to recenter his focus.

In the back of his mind, he kept replaying all that he had heard from outside Tenten's door and her conversation with Shikamaru. He had not realized that Shikamaru was reconsidering marriage, and his vision in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Gaara became deep in thought, reflecting on his experience in the Infinite Tsukuyomi and his inward desire for family and friendship. All Shikamaru wanted was a carefree life with those that he cared about around him, and instead Suna was giving him extra troubles for marrying Temari.

He sighed again, and his thoughts jumped to the folder on his office desk. It seemed that if the council was going to go forward with finding a suitable spouse for Gaara to marry without his expressed approval. Walking slowly to the window, he looked at the cacti that he was cultivating and instantly relaxed as the medicine began working.

Just for one moment, could he ever be normal?

* * *

Two days later, he found himself cornered.

Perhaps casually leaving the folder on the table was not enough of a response for the council. They became more proactive, seeking a verbal confirmation that he would meet the woman in question whose photo was in the folder.

He could feel a sharp discomfort entering his head and stomach. "Ebizo-san, Tojuro-san, how can I help you?"

Ebizo spoke up first. "I take it you have seen the folder on your desk, Kazekage-sama?"

The redhead nodded, hoping that he would not have to elaborate more on the matter.

"The council has unanimously agreed that this person would be a suitable candidate. She comes from a well-bred family and they are quite affluent. Upon marriage, they would give a generous donation to our funds to aid our dwindling finances."

At the mention of funding, Gaara's interest peaked. "You say that would help us?"

This time, Tojuro spoke. "Yes," he responded, "they are willing to help us with any fundings in relation to post-war initiatives. As you know, we have lost the full support from the Daimyo, and that does not help the current situation that we have on our hands in providing aid to shinobi and their families who have been involved with the war." There was a momentary halt before the older man spoke up again, "Kazekage-sama, I think this would be an advantageous opportunity for you; the village will be supported, the Hoki family gains prestige in having a daughter who is the wife to the Kazekage, and you get a wife who will provide you with a suitable heir."

Gaara hesitated before speaking. They made great points, and Gaara could only see practical benefits to this political marriage. But why was he unsure? He had always weighed rationality over emotionality, but yet there was something stopping him. "Yes. I will consider it."

The two older men nodded. "Good," Ebizo began, "we will set up a date for the two of you to meet in the upcoming weeks. You are making a great decision, Kazekage-sama." The two councilmen bowed and left the room.

* * *

' _Damn, I left my pills in my room.'_

He was currently deep into paperwork, trying to figure out ways to allocate funding for the village to help those whose homes who had been impacted by the sandstorm. Ebizo and Tojuro's words deeply affected him, as Gaara had been dwelling on these thoughts for many a time since their encounter that afternoon. He recalled his multiple letters and face-to-face encounters with the Daimyo with his requests for support and funding. Despite his valiant efforts, each proposal was shot down, despite the Daimyo's previous verbal confirmation of securing funds to provide to the shinobi.

Thinking about the council's optimistic words about the marriage arrangement, perhaps it would not be so bad after all. Gaara did not necessarily have a good understanding on what made for a good husband and a stable family life, but maybe it was something he could learn.

The pain surfaced again, this time spreading to his neck and shoulders and secreting a warm rush through him. How could he be thinking about married life when he had not even met the woman who was to be his spouse? More importantly, was he thinking more about the village or himself?

While deep in thought, he did not hear the sound of his office door opening.

"Gaara-sensei?"

He looked up and saw his former student, who was now one of the assistant teachers at the academy. "Ah, Matsuri, what can I help you with?"

"Ano…" a tinge of pale pink appeared on her cheeks. "I'm here to… to ask when the academy training grounds will be open again? Some of the students were curious and I wanted to ask you personally. The sandstorm seems to have passed."

"That's a good question. I believe that we will have the training grounds open in two days. The storm has caused some damage to some of the areas there, so we are working on getting that sorted out." He attempted to ignore the throbbing in his head, and attempted to put a casual smile on his face. "Thank you for coming to ask."

"O-of course! The students have been asking for a while, and that definitely makes sense!" She slowly began walking backwards towards the door. "Sorry for bothering you tonight! I j-just wanted to say one more thing."

Gaara looked up from his papers and gave a curious look to his former student.

"That woman, the Konoha-nin…"

"Yes?"

"She seems very proficient with weapons. I know that I have been slowly… getting over my fear of weapons, but when I saw her giving her demonstration, I felt more confident."

Gaara continued to look curious. "Confident?"

"I can't seem to find a word for it… but I always associated weapons with terrible things, like mass murders or torture. But when she uses them, she's so elegant and knowledgeable that I can't help but feel confident. I hope that she continues to teach- she'll be a good trainer for the students, and for me too!" She made fists with her two hands and gave a cheerful expression.

The redhead sighed a breath of relief. "I'm glad that you think so as well. I will ask her if she is still interested in teaching the students at the academy." He looked directly at Matsuri, whose blush instantly became two shades darker. "Have a good night, Matsuri. Thank you for visiting my office."

Matsuri quickly bowed and left the room, avoiding eye contact before embarrassing herself. While she had gained a significant amount of self-confidence over the years, she remained painfully timid when it came to social interactions, particularly with her former instructor.

Gaara smirked while reminiscing about the first time he had instructed Matsuri. At the time, she was quiet and unconfident, and he was stoic and impatient. Yet the two had formed a strong bond as student and teacher as she continued to master her skills as a shinobi. Could it be that there were people that he had helped make an positive impact on?

* * *

Time flew by as he sifted through papers, drawing up plans and assigning missions to shinobi. Gaara looked at the clock and saw that it was three o'clock in the morning. He sighed and decided to retire for the night.

The folder remained on the table, and after fixating on it for a few minutes, he picked it up and began to look.

Hakuto of the Hoki family. Judging by the pictures, she looked extremely delicate and graceful, with a fair complexion and slim figure. Her features were soft, very unlike Gaara's deep and severe expression. Hanzo was right, having someone like her as a wife would definitely boost his popularity in the village. She was someone from a high-class and talented family and she was a relatively skilled medical-nin in her own right. He could understand why the council wanted this marriage arrangement to be successful.

Out of the periphery of his eye laid Lee's note. As his eyes glanced back and forth between the folder in his hands and the note on his desk, he slowly got deeper in thought. A nauseous feeling in his stomach simmered.

Deciding to get some fresh air, Gaara removed his Kazekage robes and strided out of his office, secretly wishing that removing his robes would physically detach him from his duties and that the pain would dissipate at that moment.

* * *

If Shikamaru's favorite pastime was cloud-watching, then Gaara's was stargazing.

As he walked down the streets in solitude, it allowed him to relax and have his thoughts to himself. For once, he did not have to think about the wellbeing of the village, but rather could think about himself. It allowed him to engage in self-reflection, pondering about his achievements and failures, and assessing areas of improvement.

"Good evening, Kazekage-sama."

At the sound of the soft whisper greeting him, he quickly turned around and saw Tenten, sitting on a bench outside of the apartment complex.

"Tenten. What are you doing up this late?"

The brunette looked down at the ground and her feet began making patterns in the sand. "I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to stay in my room, so I came outside."

Gaara nodded. "Well, perhaps you should head upstairs before you catch a cold. It's a lot colder at night here."

Tenten gave a slight smile. "I'm from Konoha, Kazekage-sama, I'm used to colder weather where I'm from. But I appreciate your kindness." She paused for a moment before speaking again. "Would you like to sit down? There's room on this bench." The brunette looked up at the redhead and his striking green eyes and noticed his head slightly tilt. "Ah, I didn't mean to disturb you from your walk."

Gaara shook his head and slowly began to walk to the bench where she was sitting. "You're never bothering, so please don't ever think that. My siblings and I enjoy your company, so you do not need to be so formal." He sat down on the bench, inches away from her.

"Ah…" Tenten was lost for words, and Gaara fixated on her questioning stare. "I can't explain enough how grateful I am to you all. You three have been so helpful to me in getting used to Suna. I just feel that perhaps my status as a jounin from Konohagakure was being questioned, whether by the council, the students or anyone who knew about my incident with the sandstorm and the flowers." Her face began heating up and she quickly put her hands up against her cheeks to cover her embarrassment. "Aaaah, I feel so ashamed just thinking about it!"

"Tenten."

At the sound of her name, he could see the kunoichi perk up. "You don't need to keep apologizing. If anything, you should focus on recovering- the council and academy staff have been asking for you. You seem to have made a good impression on them."

A moment of silence passed before the kunoichi meekly spoke up. "I see. Do you still want me here?"

Gaara's eyes widened and Tenten immediately started stuttering, struggling to rephrase her question. "A-ahh, I mean… do you think it would be beneficial for me to go back to teach at the academy and to work with the council as an ambassador?"

"I do."

He inched closer to her on the bench and looked straight at her, noticing her pallid complexion. "I also think it would be in your best interest to get some rest. It is late, and you should be sleeping." Gaara stood up and quickly lowered his head. "Good night, Tenten."

Green and brown gazed at one another. A single charged second of time passed before they both looked away, she walking back to the apartment building and he continuing to wander the streets alone.

* * *

 **And that's it! A chapter in Gaara's perspective! It was honestly more of challenge for me than I expected… But nonetheless, I really hope you enjoy!**

 **I had originally wanted the story to be mostly Tenten-centric, but the more I thought about it, it was about the coming together of these two characters, so both of them deserved to have chapters dedicated to them. It might be mostly Tenten-centric, but with sprinkles of Gaara-centric chapters or passages like in the previous chapters. I'm still thinking about it. But the best stories are those that have both sides, so let's just go with what we got!**

 **As always, please favorite, follow and review! I'd love to hear what you all think! I know it's going to be a slow romance between the two, but I promise you it'll be worth it! ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**And the story continues…**

 **Apologies that this chapter is a bit later than expected. I always try to publish chapters in the middle of the week, but I've been busy with this large project and then just some life stress that I haven't been in the best place to write. I don't like to force my writing either otherwise the end product won't turn out as well as I would like it to be. But nonetheless, please enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto is solely the property of Masashi Kishimoto. _Gaara Hiden_ is Ukyō Kodachi and Masashi Kishimoto's, not mine.**

* * *

A week had elapsed before Tenten fully recovered and was cleared for training. With each passing day, she began feeling more like her usual self, where she would do her morning runs and training sessions. She resumed her council duties with Temari and began teaching classes more regularly at the academy.

To her surprise, she had found that the council and academy to be more respectful and open to her. Temari and Kankuro gave her more responsibilities, allowing her the opportunity to take charge in drafting diplomatic proposals and devising formation strategies to protect the village borders.

With the academy, she had started working with other instructors to create exams and challenges to students, where they would have to use strategy and teamwork to overcome obstacles with their teams. She recalled the insane number of tests that she had completed with her team that Gai and the other teachers had created while starting out as shinobi, appreciating the full value such rigorous testing had on their skill development.

It seemed as though things were falling into place, and she could hear herself referring to Suna as her new home casually in conversation. But yet she also had this gnawing feeling of remorse in the back of her mind that never failed to remind her of all the people and duties she left behind in Konoha.

* * *

As she looked on the calendar, Tenten soon realized that Lee would be arriving in Suna. She had been so immersed in work that she did not even think about her former teammate's visit.

Did the siblings know that Lee would be coming? She had assumed that Lee would send a formal letter to the Kazekage informing him of his impending visit, but the thought had populated in her mind that Lee would appear by surprise in his typical Lee fashion. Tenten had grimaced at the thought and picked up the pace as she headed to the Kazekage's office.

Once she arrived at his door, she could hear two distinct voices shouting through the door.

"What do you think you're doing? Didn't you think to talk to me and Kankuro before deciding? Do you honestly want to go through with this?"

"Oi, you should have talked to us beforehand. Why did we have to find out through those wrinkly bastards huh? I thought you would have wanted to share this news with us!"

Tenten sighed and pivoted away from the door, not wanting to eavesdrop more of the conversation. As she took a step away, she heard the clicking of a door.

"Tenten."

She turned around and saw Gaara standing right outside the door. "Ah, Kazekage-sama," she put a hand behind her head and gave a weak chuckle. "I realize I've come at a bad time."

"No you haven't. Feel free to come in. My siblings sometimes have the tendency to overreact to very trivial things, so this is normal." He walked back into his office and gestured for her to sit on the couch located on the side of the office, where Temari and Kankuro were angrily standing by.

"Gaara," Temari hissed, "do not think we are done talking about this." She crossed her arms tightly and furrowed her brows.

Kankuro avoided his older sister's furious gaze and directed his attention to Tenten. "Yo, Tenten, what's up?" He waved to the brunette.

Tenten walked into the office and slowly shut the door. "Ano... I just wanted to ask if you all knew about Lee coming to Suna. He should be arriving within the next couple of days."

This time Gaara spoke up. "Yes, I received a letter from him last week about his visit. I have informed Kankuro, Temari, and those who will be on guard duty at that time to look out for him."

The brunette sighed a breath of relief. "Thank goodness. For some reason I had a hunch that he would just appear by surprise and give everyone a shock. I'm glad that he let you know."

Gaara looked at Tenten and then at his siblings. "You do not need to worry. Should any of our friends and allies show up in our village, either announced or unannounced, they will be welcomed. You need not fret about such formalities, but thank you."

Tenten looked to Kankuro and Temari who nodded in response, and she noticed the tension in the room gradually disappearing. "Well… if there's anything I can help with, just let me know. I don't want his visit on my behalf to be an extra burden on you three in terms of accommodations and everything. He can stay in my room, as there is definitely enough room for the two of us in my apartment."

And just like that, the tension in the room had reappeared.

Temari stared at Tenten before asking, "you want him to stay in your room?"

"If you don't mind, then yes. I don't see the need to prepare another room just for his visit, so he can just stay with me. He is my former teammate so I should be responsible for him during his visit."

Kankuro looked to his sister first and then to his younger brother. "Well, Tenten," he cleared his throat and directed his attention to the Konoha-nin, "not that we are forcing you to reconsider or anything, but we have already planned a room for him, and he'll still be on the same floor as the four of us…"

Temari finished Kankuro's thought "It would be best for him to stay in a separate room. We don't want others to get the wrong impression." Kankuro nodded and Gaara remained silent at their sister's suggestion.

Tenten looked down on the ground, evading the stern gazes from the three others in the room. "Well, whatever works, just thought I'd throw out the suggestion. If everything is already set, then I guess there's no need to work any details out and make an even larger problem. I'll take my leave." She quickly bowed and left the room, making sure to shut the door on her way out.

* * *

Later that day, while Tenten was sharpening her weapons, she could not help but think about what had spurred the tension in the room before she had come in. And then there were the questions about whether or not to have Lee live with her in her room.

She personally did not have a problem with any of this. Being on the same team for many years, she was used having to sleep in the same proximity as her male counterparts. Sometimes they had even slept on the same bed when there were not enough rooms or beds to go around.

This in itself had created its own form of personal intimacy that she had shared with Lee and Neji. They had dedicated years of their lives into becoming cogs in a well-oiled machine. They knew each other's strengths and weaknesses in the battlefield, as well as their ideals and aspirations. There were many nights when the three would stay up until sunrise talking to one another about life, the universe and the future.

How long had it been since she had such a conversation? Tenten quickly came to the realization that she had not made a single friend in her new village.

But even still, did she really have friends in Konoha? Besides Neji and Lee, there were not many others she spoke to on a regular basis. Hinata was always nice enough to invite her out when there were social events, and she would occasionally go out for meals whenever she encountered Ino or Sakura out in the village. It was a contrived invitation, one that was out of pity and circumstance rather than genuine friendship.

After the war, she found herself seeking a calmer lifestyle as she began to embark on her endeavor to open a small weapons shop in the village center, hoping that it would allow her time to cope with everything that had happened during the war. However, she could not help but seek the endorphin rush that she had when going on missions, and instantly engrossed herself in top ranked missions locating rogue-nin groups. Tenten became part of the strategic tactics team, which was led by Shikamaru. It was through their collaborations that they became close comrades both inside and outside of work, and it was he who recommended Tenten to be an take on students at the academy in Konoha.

Thinking more deeply, perhaps it was because she was so busy she did not have time to be with her friends. Or maybe she made herself busy to avoid the fact that she never had too many friends outside of work to begin with. While Tenten wanted to think more of the former, her conscience shouted at her that it was the latter. In this lifetime, the only true friend she had left was Lee.

She casually threw a kunai and watched it hit its mark on the target. At the sound of footsteps coming up behind her, she lazily spoke, "sorry, kid, we're done with class for the day. We'll pick up where we left off next time."

"Ah… I'm sorry for disturbing!"

Tenten looked behind and found a young woman with her knees buckling She looked familiar as one of the assistants that helped out with classes, and she seemed to recall the woman at the second chuunin exam. But just what was her name?

"Sorry about that, I just assumed you were a student or something. I was not paying close enough attention. Is there anything you require from me?" Tenten made sure to speak with as much formality as she could, to avoid insulting the young woman.

"N-no, I just wanted to formally introduce myself. My name is Matsuri, I am currently an assistant teacher at the academy, and I'm working with some of the younger students!"

' _Ah, Matsuri. I remember hearing from Neji and Lee about that mission where they helped Suna and saved her.'_ She frowned as she remembered not being included in that mission with the rest of her Konoha 11 team.

"It is very nice to meet you, Matsuri-san." Tenten stood up and walked towards the other woman. "I look forward working with you and the rest of the academy instructors." She bowed in respect, and Matsuri instantly blushed in embarrassment and bowed in return.

"Y-you don't need to be so formal! If anything, it is I who should be formal. You're an esteemed guest of the Kazekage and his family!"

Tenten looked up at the stuttering woman and gave a slight smile. "I am serving my duty to both my village and yours. I am no different than everyone else." She looked up to the sky and saw that it was beginning to get dark. "I realize that it is late and I should be clearing the training grounds, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Ah… I just wanted to ask a favor." Matsuri looked up to Tenten's questioning gaze before speaking up. "I was hoping if you could help me train with your weapons."

The bunned kunoichi's interest sparked at the prospect of having a sparring partner. "You want to train with me?"

"Yes… but I would also like your assistance with something."

"Assistance?"

"I have this… fear of weapons." Her speech halted. "I fear weapons, whether if it is coming into contact with them or using them in battle. I've been able to get this far as a shinobi, but it is definitely halting my progress in improving. No real shinobi should be flinching at the sight of weapons being used."

Tenten's eyes widened at Matsuri's words. How could someone be afraid of weapons, the things that she loved so dearly? Her mind began running, thinking of ways to reassure the younger kunoichi who appeared increasingly anxious. Tenten suddenly thought about her team, and how they strove to conquer their shortcomings in training to become the strongest they could be.

At these ruminations, a smile came to her face and she gave two thumbs up. "Of course, I would love to help! And you can just call me Tenten, adding the sensei ending makes me feel like this more of a class than a sparring session!"

Matsuri blushed again and grinned, excited at having a new training partner. The two kunoichi began happily engaging in conversation as they planned training schedules and made small talk as Tenten was cleaning up her weapons on the training ground.

As Tenten continued conversing with Matsuri, there was a subtle discomfort coming from the bottom of her stomach. Hearing herself being referred to as a guest reinforced that her move to Suna was temporarily and it would never truly be her home. She pushed away the pessimistic thought, trying to enjoy the moment of forming a new friendship.

* * *

"Oh Tenten, how you have blossomed since our last farewell! Gai-sensei would be so happy to know that you have done so well for yourself while in Suna!"

Tenten looked at Lee who was in his signature pose. Even after all these years, she still had no idea how Lee and Gai managed to get their teeth to be so sparkly white. She was convinced that they invested in some sort of treatment, because it was such an abnormal shade of white.

"It's good to see you too, Lee. It's been awhile since we've last seen each other huh?"

The two came into a fond embrace and Tenten sighed at the familiar comfort of her teammate's arms and suddenly felt the need to gasp for air as the hug got tighter.

"L-lee… let me go…" She felt her face get hot as she watched Gaara stare at the two of them from behind his desk.

"Ah, I'm sorry, excitement has truly gotten the better of me! It's so good to see the flower of my team!" He looked to Tenten, who was still gasping for air, and then watched Gaara who remained unfazed.

"Gaara-kun, how have you been?" Lee looked to the redhead and scoped his office surroundings. "Seems like you have been quite busy with work!" He pointed to the many stacks of files that surrounded his desk.

Gaara smiled at Lee. "It's been busy around here, but nothing I cannot manage. It's good to see you again, Lee. I trust you had a safe journey?"

"Of course!" Lee made his signature pose. "I had written Tenten a letter saying that I would be able to make the journey in half the time. I didn't quite fulfill that goal, since it took me two full days, but now I know what I need to improve on! I'm just glad that I was able to arrive today!"

Tenten shook her head and face palmed at the thought of Lee treating his traveling as training. "Lee…"

"Gaara-kun," Lee continued, "I am not only here for leisure, but also to deliver some documents for you from the Hokage and Shikamaru!" Lee began rummaging through his backpack, pulling out a series of papers. "Please review these and let me know if you would like me to bring anything back to Konoha!"

Gaara nodded, accepting the papers. "Of course. Thank you for bringing these to me." Before he read any of the paperwork, he looked up to Lee and Tenten. "We will be having a dinner tonight in honor of your visit. Temari and Kankuro will be joining us as well. Please let us know if you need anything during your stay here in Suna."

"Thank you, Gaara-kun, you're always so welcoming!" The redhead chuckled in response.

Tenten watched the two of them casually converse, and resisted the urge to facepalm again. "Lee… we should get going. The Kazekage is busy at this time of day and we don't want to hold him up. We can continue where we left off in conversation while at dinner." She quickly grabbed his hand and ungracefully ran out of the room, trying to erase the image of piercing green eyes from her mind.

* * *

After dropping off Lee's belongings in his apartment at the complex, the two took a stroll around the village, heading into a local teahouse. As Tenten began pouring tea for the both of them, she heard a stern voice.

"Tenten."

She first had a sudden flashback to her encounter with the Kazekage that night, when they locked eyes. Tenten tried to forget and instead directed her focus to pouring the tea.

"You and I both know why I'm here."

This time, she decided to look up. Even after all these years, Lee still looked the same- his eyes glistened with determination and enthusiasm. The two ex-teammates studied each other intently with their eyes. "What do you mean," she spoke, feigning innocence, "I'm absolutely fine."

"Tenten… have you seen yourself in the mirror lately?"

In lieu of standing up from her chair and punching him squarely in the face, she chose to look at her tea and the stray tea leaf that was floating across the cup. How could he ask something like this? Did he not know that she spent time looking at herself in the mirror, seeing all of her flaws and imperfections? How she reflected on her shortcomings?

Did he not remember the times he walked into her room to find glass shards scattered around the floor? How he would quietly reach for the broom and dustpan in the kitchen closet and sweep up all the mess?

"I figured you might have. Tenten, you need to tell me what's wrong, and let me help. The Kazekage and his family have opened their village for you to live in and start anew. They want to help too." He took a sip of his tea and sneaked a glance at Tenten who was nervously fidgeting and playing with her empty teacup.

After a few moments, Tenten spoke up. "I'm fine, Lee. It's been a tough few weeks for me getting adjusted. And then the whole incident with the flowers and being in the middle of a sandstorm… maybe it's a sign that I don't belong here. No matter how much I try, nothing I do ever seems to work out. And when it does, I feel like I'm in pain, like I shouldn't be happy here."

The two sat in silence, waiting for the other person to speak. Finally, Lee spoke up. "You know, I miss Neji too."

Hearing their deceased teammate's name gave her a shock. The kunoichi crossed her arms and muttered, "This isn't about Neji."

"But it is," he whispered, "it always has been. You two were always joined at the hip, whether it was while training or during missions. I cannot imagine how difficult it has been for you to not have him by your side, especially today of all days." The brunette's eyes doubled in size, finally comprehending the timing of his visit.

Lee paused, pouring himself another cup of tea. "I don't think Temari, Kankuro and Suna's council know how much you've given up to come here. You didn't open the weapons shop that you have always dreamed about, and on top of all of that, you've denied an offer to join Konoha's ANBU?" He looked to Tenten who was openly frowning. "I found out from Shikamaru and Sai. They told me everything."

"The offer was confidential," she whispered, "no one was supposed to know. I wasn't allowed to tell anyone."

"I thought we could trust each other, Tenten. Since when have we drifted apart so much?"

Tenten looked down at her hands, noticing the lack of scratches and healing wounds. Before, she prided herself in the scrapes she had on her hands and arms, proving that she had a successful sparring session with Neji or a productive time forging her own weapons. Now, instead of weapons, she was holding formal treaties and books. She no longer looked as forward to training and lacked the energy she once had.

"It's not you, Lee. Don't think that any of this is because of you. It's all because of me- if anything, it is all my fault."

Lee gave his friend a kind smile. "Don't you remember when all three of us were first training together, and how we would get in each other's way? We weren't coordinated enough back then to identify the other's strengths and weaknesses. The whole time, we kept blaming ourselves for not working hard enough. Gaisensei sat all three of us down and lectured us on the strength of youthfulness; that we should utilize it to be mindful on how to communicate, cooperate and improve, rather than focus on the negatives and force ourselves into a corner of doubt and regret. That's how you move on!" He gave his signature Nice Guy pose, and Tenten smiled in return. Even though Gai had overly ranted about youthfulness, his anecdotes and speeches always carried underlying wisdom and optimism.

"Do not ever think that Neji's death is your fault," he continued. "None of us were there with him at that moment, and there was nothing we could do to prevent it. This was a conscious decision he made on his behalf to protect his cousin and his dear friend." He gave a slight pause before finishing his thought, "If if was you and me in that situation with him, I am confident Neji would have sacrificed himself for us. His fate would have been the same."

Silence filled the room, followed by whimpering. Lee quickly shifted seats to be next to Tenten. "Neji always loved you, Tenten," he whispered, "don't ever forget that. He wouldn't want to see you in this much pain. Please smile like you used to."

The two sat and embraced each other, Lee slowly rubbing her back as she cried softly into his chest.

* * *

The first dinner was awkward, and Tenten silently pleaded that the second dinner would be anything but that. Lee truly had a talent of getting people to talk, even if they were the most unsociable of people. Tenten pondered for a few moments about her previous encounter with the Sand Siblings and how she had seemed to enter a tense atmosphere when in the Kazekage's office, but now all of that pressure dissipated into thin air. Maybe this dinner would go well.

She sat down at the dinner table with Lee, Temari and Kankuro- Gaara had yet to arrive. The four of them were lightheartedly chatting, catching up with one another and hearing about any news about their friends in Konoha.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see a door open. "Apologies for being late everyone." Gaara had arrived, dressed in full Kazekage robes. He removed his hat and outer robes, putting them aside. "I was in a meeting that would never end. I had to dismiss everyone and tell them we would resume tomorrow."

Tenten looked back to the table and noticed Temari and Kankuro giving disapproving glares and scowls at their younger brother. Lee observed the friction in the room and gave a single loud clap with his hands. "Gaara-kun, you have finally arrived! Please come sit down, we will begin the meal! We would never want to start without you, and we understand that your work is extremely important!" He stood up and guided his friend to the table, the latter looking very thankful.

As the food arrived, Tenten could not help but steal glances at the three siblings. Her curiosity continued to increase. Just what had happened? She decided it was not the time nor was it her place to ask, and she instead continued to pick at the food in front of her.

Her thoughts were disrupted by Lee. "Tenten, you need to eat more!"

Tenten looked up and suddenly found a plentitude of food on her plate. "Lee, I don't need that much food, I'm getting full enough as it is!" She began taking some of the food and placing it on Lee's plate. "Here, you eat this!"

The two of them continued bickering about the food as the other three people at the table were watching them with intense inquisitiveness. They had never seen Tenten so spirited since her move to Suna.

"Aw, aren't you two cute!" Lee and Tenten instantly stopped arguing and turned to Kankuro who was laughing at the two Konoha-nin. "Honestly, Lee, you're the only person to get Tenten all wound up like this!"

Lee laughed and smiled. "I'm glad I am able to imbue some youthfulness back into my former teammate. She doesn't seem to be glowing as much as before. You should see her when she's training!" He was about to continue speaking until an elbow jabbed into his side. "Tenten, that's not polite at the table!" Tenten frowned and crossed her arms, causing everyone at the table to laugh.

"Seriously, if I didn't know any better," Kankuro laughed, "I would say you guys are dating! How long have you two been together?"

It became quickly apparent that Kankuro had stumbled upon a topic of conversation that no one else dared to approach. He was promptly smacked on the back of the head by his older sister, his hood falling to the ground.

"You idiot," Temari whispered, "we all agreed not to talk about that!"

"Ugh, sorry," Kankuro mumbled, "slip of the tongue?" His remark was met by glares from both his older sister and younger brother.

"I apologize for my older brother's lack of a filter, sometimes he doesn't know when to shut up…" Gaara looked to Lee and Tenten, who appeared shocked.

All of a sudden everything clicked. Temari, Kankuro and Gaara thought they were dating because of her previous request to have Lee in her room. The blush on her face gradually got darker as she mentally berated herself for her behavior. ' _How could I be so stupid!'_ she thought, ' _they would obviously think we are together… ugh I'm so dumb! How could I make such a mistake?'_

Tenten deeply inhaled, attempting to calm her quickening heartbeat before speaking. "We aren't dating," she whispered, "I'm afraid you're mistaken."

"No? Heh, my bad, but we all thought…" Kankuro sheepishly laughed, suddenly at a loss for words. He received another slap from Temari.

The blonde kunoichi interjected, "sorry about Kankuro. He's uncontrollable sometimes. We had wrongfully assumed that you two were together because Tenten had requested that you two share a room. And since you both were on the same team and everything, you guys seem to be quite compatible! We realize we were wrong in assuming, sorry about that." She turned to Kankuro, whose face was beginning to swell. "You better keep your mouth shut!"

Tenten raised her eyebrows in surprise when Temari had mentioned her and Lee's compatibility. To an outsider, it looked that she and Lee were well matched for each other. What did it look like to everyone in Konoha? What about to her team? To Neji? She was at a loss for words. Tenten peered over to Lee, hoping that he would burst into one of his rants about youthfulness and how Team Gai were family, but instead Lee gave a sigh in resignation and continued to pick at his food.

And just like that, Tenten had resolved that dinners with the Sand Siblings would eternally be awkward for her.

* * *

After dinner, the five went to a bar at the urging of Temari and Kankuro. While Tenten had initially resisted going, she found herself needing to take charge of Lee in case he went overboard with alcohol. Kankuro, Temari and Lee found themselves having fun, all the anxiousness from the previous conversation at dinner had disappeared with laughter taking its place. Gaara spaced himself away from the four of them, choosing to sit at a table in the corner.

Tenten sauntered over to the table where Gaara was sitting, giving him a cup. "Here. It's tea, nothing alcoholic." He graciously accepted it and took a long sip.

She cleared her throat, hoping that her jittery nerves would calm down. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior that afternoon. I didn't mean to imply that Lee and I were together. I just didn't want you to make a whole room for him since it would be going out of your way."

"No need to apologize, it is our fault for assuming such in the first place. We didn't mean to pry. My brother just has poor timing when it comes to bringing up sensitive topics." Gaara looked at the brunette, noticing her somber expression. "Are you okay?"

Tenten instantly blushed, as she was caught off-guard. How did he have a knack for catching her in moments like these? "M-me? I'm fine… why do you ask?"

"You look like you've been crying." He gestured to his eyes and she quickly touched her face, feeling for the dry remnants of her tears.

"N-no, it's nothing. Probably the weather or something affecting me, it has really gotten hotter here…" She stumbled, trying to find the words she had wanted to speak, but was soon interrupted by the clanging of glasses against the table.

"Birthday shots!" Tenten and Gaara saw Lee, Temari and Kankuro carrying shot glasses and a giant bottle of sake. "Come on, have a shot or two… or three!" Lee laughed, opening the bottle and pouring alcohol into the small glasses.

"Lee!" She grimaced at the strong smell of alcohol. "This isn't something we should be celebrating here… and besides, I said that I wouldn't be drinking! If anything, I shouldn't be drinking since I have to make sure you don't get all drunken fist all over the bar! And don't make Gaara uncomfortable by forcing him to do something he doesn't want to!" She shouted.

Then the unexpected happened. The redhead had picked up the shot glass, first inspecting its contents before speaking up to the others around the table, "so whose birthday is it today?"

Tenten gawked in surprise, with his two siblings pointing and giggling at their youngest brother. "Kazekage-sama, you don't have to drink because my stupid teammate pressures you to…" She went to reach out for the glass but was deflected by Lee.

"My oh my dear Tenten, do you not want our beloved Gaara-kun to not celebrate? It is our dear Neji's birthday today after all!"

She could hear the shattering of glasses impacting with the floor, a sound she knew all too well. Tenten quickly turned to look at the three siblings who were in shock. Temari's eyes widened, Kankuro began silently uttering swears and Gaara's face paled as he regretted inquiring.

"I-it's Neji's birthday t-today?" Temari whispered. Tenten nodded at the blonde kunoichi, whose face also blanched.

Tenten quickly downed her shot, slamming the glass on the table. "I'll be taking my leave now. Thanks for the dinner and drinks," she put some money on the tablespace. "I know it probably isn't much, but hopefully it'll cover any damages that Lee will incur on this place if he continues drinking. I trust you can take him home safely?" She nodded at the three of them and left the bar.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter! It's slightly longer, as an apology for posting this later than usual. I had some difficulty writing this week, due to work or stress that had me craving sleep more than writing.**

 **I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, I really appreciate you all! Until next time! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Lost my groove for a bit with finding inspiration and energy, but slowly getting it back!v Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and followed! Please continue to support me in this story! Thank you for your patience!**

 **Disclaimer:** **Naruto is solely the property of Masashi Kishimoto.** _ **Gaara Hiden**_ **is Ukyō Kodachi and Masashi Kishimoto's, not mine.**

* * *

It was Neji's birthday.

That was the source that was causing her conscience to consume her. All the memories she had of celebrating Neji's birthday, whether with the whole team or just the two of them, were stored in the back of her mind, never to be touched until now. Seeing Lee in her new surrounding acting cheerful and willing to celebrate their deceased teammate's birthday made her feel trepidatious.

She did not want to admit it to herself, but she had forgotten to acknowledge Neji's birthday. As time passed, she found herself focusing more on the present rather than dwelling on the past. Yet for Lee, who kept telling Tenten about how Neji would appear in his dreams and would always think about Neji everyday, was so optimistic for the future and his spirits never fell. Was all of this uneasiness within her caused by the guilt of not taking time to think about her past?

More importantly, why was it that time only affected her rather than the people around her?

Tenten walked alone in the night, kicking around sand with each step. She looked up to the night sky, admiring each of the stars. To her, the stars seemed to shine brighter in Suna than in Konoha. As she walked down the streets, she looked to the stars, hoping that they would be able to shed some light and direction as to how she should feel and what she should do.

* * *

"I am so sorry! My actions and words cannot express enough how apologetic I am!"

It was early in the morning the next day, and Lee had ambushed Tenten, Gaara, Temari and Kankuro who were coincidentally all in the lobby of the apartment building.

"Lee… don't shout, some of us got hangovers, ya know?" Kankuro pointed to himself and Temari, whose faces were both gaunt in appearance. Gaara remained stoic as usual.

"Again, I am so sorry!" Lee shouted. He then proceeded to bow lower. Tenten walked to him and coaxed Lee to rise, whispering a few words to him and accepting his apology.

"It is fine, Lee." Gaara slowly spoke, crossing his arms. "We didn't know it was Neji's birthday, otherwise we would have appropriately honored it and his memory. Even though he was a shinobi of Konoha, we remain grateful to his efforts in his collaborations with our village. He has saved my life more than once."

"I should have informed you all sooner, but I did not know how to approach the matter in a letter. It was more of an event that Tenten and I should have celebrated together, rather than making matters worse and getting everyone involved." He looked to the three siblings, two of them still nursing their hangovers. "How can I make it up to you?"

The redhead closed his eyes and appeared deep in thought for several moments. "All of us can go to the temple that we have towards the outskirts of the village. Even though we are a day late after his birthday, we can still pay our respects there to Neji and all those who have fallen in the war."

Lee grinned and gave a thumbs up, approving the suggestion. Tenten smiled at Gaara, thankful that he and his siblings were so quick to forgive.

Gaara walked up to Tenten, handing off a small amount of money. "I believe this is yours. You left it on the table last night." Before she could thank him, he had left the building, with Kankuro and Temari not following far behind.

She looked at the money and then at her hand. Despite his cold countenance and stoic mannerisms, his hand was warm. Tenten stretched out her hand and gripped the small wad tighter, smiling at the touch of heat that remained.

"Come on, Tenten, are you ready to go on our run? Five hundred laps around the village!"

Tenten looked back at Lee who was adjusting his ankle weights. "Coming!"

* * *

The five of them had made plans to meet in the late afternoon to head over to the temple. They would meet at the Kazekage tower prior to leaving. Tenten and Lee had arrived first and were patiently waiting outside until Temari showed up.

"Hey, you two!" Temari walked over to Lee and Tenten, giving a single wave. "I'm afraid Kankuro will be late and I'm not sure if Gaara can make it, so it'll just be the three of us for now. Is that okay?"

Tenten turned to Lee, waiting for him to speak. Why would Gaara not be able to make it? Wasn't this outing his idea after all?

Tenten quickly covered her mouth with her hands in shock after realizing she vocalized her thoughts. Temari looked at her and laughed at the other kunoichi's embarrassment. "Yeah, I know. Something unfortunately came up and he isn't able to come with us. The council members get pushy when they don't get their way, and since he pushed off that meeting yesterday to today, now he has to do extra work. Not a big deal, but just poor planning on his part." She put her hands on her waist and looked at the two. "You ready to go or what?"

The three of them headed out, not noticing a head of red hair hovering by an upstairs office window.

* * *

The trip to the temple was far, and by the time they had arrived, it was almost dusk. Kankuro had met up with the three at the front of the temple. Gaara was nowhere to be seen.

"Kankuro?" Temari walked up to her younger brother, "what are you doing here, so far out from the village center?"

Kankuro straightened his hood and grunted. "Nothing much, just scoping around the area and thought I would meet up with you guys here."

Lee and Tenten both were curious at why Kankuro was on the outskirts near the borders between the Land of Wind and Land of Fire, but Temari seemed to approve of Kankuro's answer and that was enough. The four of them went up the stairs of the temple to pray.

As Tenten paid her respects, she could not help but admire the splendor of the temple. She recalled a few times she and her team had encountered this path on their way to surrounding smaller villages, but had never taken the time to go to the temple. After all these years, she finally was able to go.

' _Neji,'_ Tenten thought, ' _happy belated birthday. I wish you could be here with us right now, but I know that you're watching over us all the time. We're all okay... I'm okay.'_ She bowed to the altar and walked over to Temari, Kankuro and Lee who were drawing fortunes.

"Hah, I got good luck! The heavens are watching over me. Thank you! I am eternally grateful!"

"Ugh, bad luck again? Geez, I can't get a break can I…"

"What does this mean? I can't believe it…"

Tenten looked to the three, each expressing a very different emotion- Lee overwhelmed with happiness at his good luck, Kankuro depressed at his unlucky fortune and Temari acting overly blase over her fortune slip.

"Shall I get one?" Tenten whispered. Lee instantly pulled her over to where the fortunes were. She placed a coin into the donation box and randomly picked a fortune.

"So? What did you get? Clearly anything you get will be better than mine…" Kankuro sighed and resisted the urge to crumple up his slip and throw it to the ground, afraid of angering the gods even further.

"Um…" She looked down at the slip, quickly skimming its contents. "It seems okay I guess. Nothing really that great."

"See, these things never explicitly say what they actually mean!" Temari grumbled, looking at her slip of paper. She left the temple, with Kankuro and Lee tailing behind.

Tenten read the slip more carefully and chuckled at disbelief at her fortune. ' _What future blessing? That means I have to undergo even more pain before I can have my good luck? How much do I have to bear, and how much longer can I do this?'_ She forgot that everyone had left without her, and she carefully put the fortune in her pocket, next to the money she had received earlier that day.

Once she had met up with the three others, they began walking back to the village center. Tenten looked up to see the sunset that reached out, giving the temple an elegant silhouette as they walked farther and farther away.

As they were walking, Lee looked to the side and pointed. "Look! Isn't that Gaara-kun?" Temari, Kankuro and Tenten quickly followed Lee's line of vision and noticed a distinct head of red hair walking with three other people, one of them being Baki from the council.

Temari squinted to confirm Lee's guess. "Ah… I guess it is."

"Shall we go and say hello? Perhaps he will have time to stop by the temple before it gets too dark?"

Tenten nudged him. "Lee, he looks busy, I don't think he'll have time to visit the temple. We'll catch up with him another time."

Kankuro nodded. "Sorry about this guys, I think this is my cue to leave. We'll explain more when we can. But thanks for a great outing to the temple! It's been ages since any of us have been here, and it's always good to go. Catch you all later!" He quickly ran off towards Gaara.

Lee, Tenten and Temari remained standing on the road, not speaking a word. Temari finally looked at the two Konoha-nin who were sporting curious faces. "Sorry about this, guys. But we should head back before it gets dark." She continued walking, and the two followed suit.

' _Why is Gaara here and why is everyone being all secretive about this? And was that a girl that he was with?'_ Tenten's thoughts lingered as she slipped her hands into her pocket, feeling both the money and the fortune slip inside. The warmth that she had felt earlier was now gone.

* * *

By the time Gaara and Kankuro had returned back to the Kazekage tower, it was past nightfall. Gaara threw off his Kazekage robes and hat to the couch on the side, took a seat in his office chair and sighed, throwing his hands on his head. Kankuro stood by, watching his younger brother carefully.

"All in all a good day?" Kankuro asked, not knowing how to interpret Gaara's gestures.

"A tiring day, but a good one nonetheless." He threw around some folders, not wanting to start more work. "I don't know what to think at this point."

Kankuro was stunned. Never had he heard his brother express confusion or any sort of lack in confidence. Gaara never feared anything or anyone, he typically was quick to make decisions and hardly had any regrets on his choices.

"You know, maybe it would be a good idea for us to get some sleep. You've had a long day, and maybe some rest will do you good," Kankuro gently chided. "You won't be productive doing any work now."

"I know, you're right." Gaara paused momentarily, small wrinkles appearing as he furrowed his brow. "How was the temple today? Everything go well?"

"Yeah, things went well. Lee and Tenten were a bit upset that you were busy since you had made the arrangements, but I think Temari and I did a good enough job to explain that you were busy. They may have seen you with Baki, Hoki-sama and Hakuto, but they don't know what's going on. We made sure of that."

"Thank you both." Gaara stood up from his chair and walked over to his brother. "I really appreciate it." He put a hand onto Kankuro's shoulder.

The rare gesture of kindness had Kankuro speechless. "W-well… you know, it's not a big deal. You might want to explain whatever is going on to Tenten and Lee, since they seemed worried about you. And you know that Temari and I worry about you too." Kankuro put a hand on Gaara's shoulder. "Just make sure you're happy, bro."

Kankuro left the room, leaving Gaara alone. Gaara walked over to the office window, where there was a panoramic view of the entire village. He looked at the passing winds and the sand flying around the empty streets, and the stars that lit up the village.

This land was his. As Kazekage, this domain was all his to lead.

But yet he felt so helpless. He was the leader of his people, but at the cost of giving himself to the council. Every major decision was given to the council, even as a young child. They dictated what his life was to be like as a jinchuuriki, and now they spoke up as to who he should marry as Kazekage.

As he continued pondering about his impending marriage contract, the twinge in his head surfaced, ricocheting around various parts of his body. He quickly gathered his belongings and left the office, hoping that his brother's advice about getting some rest would provide some momentary relief.

* * *

When Gaara arrived to his apartment, he saw his siblings crowding around a familiar door.

"Again, why is everyone c-"

He was interrupted by howling screams in the room, the sound traveling outside the door and echoing down the hall. Gaara turned to Kankuro who merely pointed to the door, and Temari mentioning how it had been going on for at least twenty minutes. His face paled.

"Excuse me, Gaara-kun."

Gaara pivoted and saw Lee standing right behind him. "Tenten is in pain and I need to go in and help." The three siblings moved away to give the Konoha-nin space. Lee tested out opening the door and it was unlocked.

Before fully opening the door, the three outside could hear another round of screams followed by a thud. Lee paused for a moment before speaking in a quick and hushed tone. "Ideally, I would prefer if you all forgot what you have seen or heard, but clearly that will not be the case. I will explain everything later once she has settled. Gaara-kun, I will come to your room later to explain more." The redhead nodded in response, and the two other siblings gave sad smiles. Lee walked into the room and promptly shut the door.

"So what now?" Kankuro asked.

"And now we wait." Gaara spoke. "You two can come into my room if you like." The three of them walked to his apartment.

* * *

Her mind went temporarily blank. All she could feel at that particular moment was her body enveloped in a cold sweat. She couldn't move any part of her body. The only thing she could do was scream.

Could anyone hear her? Would anyone help her?

These were the worst dreams to have. First it would start with she and her teammates training. Then visions of the war, followed by Neji's death. After that anything would happen, as fact and fiction became interwoven together in the threads of her mind.

"Tenten!"

Where was that voice coming from? If only she could move her head to the side to follow the sound.

"Oh, Tenten." She could feel gentle hands slowly pick her up from the floor and placing her carefully on the bed.

Was that Lee? She mustered up the energy to speak. "L-". Tenten was quickly hushed by Lee, who was adjusting the pillows so she could sit up.

"Stay put. I'm going to get you some water and a wet washcloth right now. You're soaked in sweat." Lee began filling up a glass of water and brought it to Tenten's lips. She began slowly sipping the water. "May I ask what happened this time?"

Tenten continued sipping the water and gestured to Lee that she did not need anymore. "I… can't remember completely." She began whispering. "It started with the usual stuff, and then it just got really trippy. I can't even explain it. I felt like I took Neji's place."

Lee's eyes widened as he wrung out the washcloth into a bowl of water he had on her nightstand. "Tenten… do not ever feel like this. It's not healthy, what you are doing."

Tenten's eyes welled up into tears. "You know I can't control it, Lee! This is the second time this has happened since I've come here. Every time it's something different that triggers me, whether it be the war, tricky missions, you guys… hell, even sometimes my family! It doesn't matter."

"Do not ever say that it does not matter. Because the moment you believe yourself and accept that statement, that is when you lose all self-worth and you will never get better. Take it back now while you still can." Tenten looked to Lee, whose brows were deeply furrowed and cheeks flushed.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. With each passing moment she could feel herself regaining feeling in her muscles, the aches in her joints serving as a painful reminder of her nightmare.

"May I ask what happened next?" Lee whispered, wiping the sweat from her brow.

She weakly nodded. "I remember waking up at the impact of being stabbed." She shivered, remembering Naruto and Hinata's recount of the battle and Neji's death. "It was just all of these wooden blades just striking through my body and it wouldn't stop. I tried so hard to get out of it, but I couldn't. And no one would help me since I was all by myself. I eventually screamed for my life and that's when I woke up."

Lee stood from the bed, putting away the bowl and cloth. "Tenten, please know that you are never alone. You always have me and Gai-sensei. I know you're close to Shikamaru too, and he always comes to Suna to visit. And please rely more on Gaara, Kankuro and Temari. I know that there may be some past grudges, but they have welcomed you into their village and given you such wonderful opportunities. They deserve to know the truth." He halted in his speech and turned her back away from her. "And if… you know… you can always come back to Konoha."

Tenten gasped. Was that why he was here? To bring her home? Her pride could not stand for that. "Lee, I'm fine," she mumbled.

After a few minutes of silence, Lee finally spoke up. "Tenten…" His voice swelled in volume. "You do not understand that you are just putting yourself into a corner. You have all of us in Konoha, yet you decide to move all the way to Suna. And you are still suffering! How do you think that makes us all feel? Did you ever think for a single moment about that? Just go home already! I know you better than you think, Tenten, and you're not doing well here!"

She, in response, did something that was most uncharacteristic of her. Instead of arguing back, she cried. In between sobs, she mustered courage to speak. "Lee, there's nothing for me at home. That's the whole reason why I came here! I can't stand walking down the streets and remembering all the memories of all of us together. I can hear people talking about me and what a terrible state I'm in. That's why I wanted something _new_ , to be in a place where not too many people know me so I can start fresh." She paused and finished her thought. "For years I have dedicated myself to guarding his blind spot, but now that he's gone… I need to do something for myself. And that's why I'm here."

Lee hurried over to Tenten and put an arm around her shaking shoulders. "I'm sorry, Tenten. I had no idea. Perhaps you are right, I do not know you as well as I thought. Take all the time you need to recuperate and figure everything out. You need this time for yourself." He gave her a mug. "Drink this. It'll help you sleep. I need to go right now, but I'll be back later, okay?"

Tenten took the mug and began sipping its contents. "Where are you going?"

"To Gaara-kun's room. He and his siblings are quite concerned about your well being, and I want to go and reassure them that things are all right. He looked very worried." Lee walked over the door. "Are you sure you are okay now?"

Tenten nodded and she heard the door shut. She gripped the mug tighter, feeling a sharp pang in her chest. Opening herself up and speaking the truth had relieved a large weight that was placed upon her, yet she still felt empty inside.

* * *

A gentle knock could be heard from outside Gaara's door. Kankuro opened the door and let Lee in.

Inside was Temari and Gaara sitting down in the living room. Gaara had changed from his formal clothes and still appeared worried as he leaned back onto the couch. Temari's hands were shaking- she, like everyone else, had seen a lot from the war, but she could not figure that the same girl that she had faced in the first Chuunin Exams was now suffering so much.

Gaara acknowledged Lee's presence with a simple nod. "Lee, please sit."

Lee stood and looked around Gaara's apartment. It was decorated simply, with many cacti and succulents put on the windowsill. Upon his desk rested stacks upon stacks of papers, his sand gourds of various sizes were resting against the wall. Lee quickly swallowed, making a gulping noise. He slowly stepped over to a vacant seat; he had come in with such confidence to explain the situation, but now he did not know where to start.

"Lee…" Temari whispered, "will she be okay?"

Lee took a minute to think before replying. Would she actually be okay? And if so, _when_? That was the larger question.

"I think..." Lee started, "I need to start from the beginning. I can only tell you as much as I know, and the rest you will need to talk to Tenten about." He looked to the others in the room, seeing nods from the other three.

"Tenten is an orphan. She does not have any immediate family in Konoha that she knows of, and has been raised by herself. When she was a child she was taken in by one of her parents' colleagues, as they had been in ANBU. But that person had died while on a mission, so she has essentially been by herself since she was little." Lee paused, watching the curious expressions on the others' faces.

"She attended the academy and eventually ended up being on a team with me and Neji. Because she did not have a clan or any knowledge about her lineage, she was an outcast in the academy. It took her a while for her to figure out where her talents lay, and she ended up being extremely talented with weaponry and sealing jutsus. Truthfully, she did most of this by herself, as Neji had the Hyuuga compound to train him and Gai-sensei dedicated a lot of his time with me."

No one spoke up, and Lee took this as an opportunity to continue his story. "She and Neji ended up training a lot together as their styles and personal mentalities complimented each other. Not too many people know this, but the Byakugan has a blind spot, and as they trained, Tenten dedicated her abilities on guarding his blind spot. She has done so for many years… and now without Neji, she feels as though she has lost her purpose in life. Because Neji had fallen in the war while with Naruto and Hinata, she feels as though she never had a chance to say goodbye. At home, many of our friends have come together and are now couples, and this may have Tenten feel uneasy about things as she has not had time to cope and it looks as though everyone else has. Shikamaru has tried to help her with getting her involved with the academy in Konoha and taking on students in hopes that it would get these terrible thoughts out of her mind, but she instead chose to leave for Suna. She thinks that the change in location will help her more."

Lee sighed. "Since the war, Tenten has been prone to getting nightmares… the doctor calls them 'night terrors', which affects her whole well being. She loses feeling in her body and will begin screaming nonstop. Sometimes she falls ill over it when it gets really bad. In the beginning when she would get these terrors, she would refuse to eat and did not leave her room for days. She has told me that it is the second time she has had them since coming to Suna." Gaara, Temari and Kankuro's faces all blanched in complexion, not knowing that all this was happening while they were living together in the same building.

Lee stood up and bowed. "I am truly sorry to ask of this, but could the three of you watch over her? She wants to stay in Suna, and I will not force her to come home with me. I know that you all are busy with your own lives and taking care of the village, but if you could keep an eye on her, I would sincerely appreciate it!" He proceeded to bow lower.

Gaara stood and put a hand on Lee's shoulder. "You do not need to bow to us. We will gladly take care of Tenten. Thank you for sharing all of this with us. It must have taken you a lot of courage to speak up about this, and we are grateful."

Lee could feel an arm around his shoulder. "Don't worry about Tenten, we can handle things from here! Like Gaara said, a friend of yours is a friend of ours, so don't worry about it!" Lee took a glance at Temari who smiled and nodded.

"Thank you all so much!" Lee smiled, tears falling down on his face. "I-I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate this. She has been through so much and deserves better." He fell on his knees and broke down in tears.

* * *

The next morning Tenten awoke right before the sunrise. She slowly began moving each of her joints, starting from the tips of her fingers and working her way down to her toes. Feeling no aches at all, she would thank Lee later. Whatever he had put in that tea had worked.

After doing some stretches, she changed into her day clothing, opting for some loose pants and a comfortable blouse, as well as some sandals. After putting up her hair in her braided buns, she decided to go out for a walk in the village, believing some fresh air would be good for her.

As Tenten walked down the streets, she kept looking to the vibrant reds and oranges that lit up the sky. In Konoha, she enjoyed watching the sun rise and set, as she would sit up high on the treetops and watch it with her teammates. However, in Suna she found herself enjoying to watch the stars, as the lack of tall buildings and trees in the village gave her a clear view of the blue and purple skies, and to admire the stars. She had purchased a book from the local bookseller on constellations and began reading up on it, hoping that she would be able to identify any as she went stargazing.

While Tenten began exploring more of the village, she saw a distinct head of red hair standing on a tall sand dune. She quickly headed in his direction.

"Good morning, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara turned around and saw Tenten, the rays from the early morning sun beaming upon the two of them. "Good morning, Tenten. You are up early."

"Yes, I found myself not able to sleep more, and wanted to walk around the village before it gets crowded with people. I enjoy the silence."

The redhead chuckled and nodded in agreement. "I like coming out here to watch the sunrise when I can. Although it has been many years since Shukaku has been extracted from within me, I find myself not able to sleep for too long. Years of insomnia will do that to you."

Tenten gave a kind smile. She decided to be straightforward and avoid skirting around the issue. "So… last night." Tenten began playing around with her shaking hands as she spoke. "I heard that Lee went to tell you, Temari and Kankuro everything."

Gaara nodded. "Lee was kind enough to explain things. He really cares for you."

"I know… sometimes he and Gai-sensei can be a bit much, y'know? They're truly like family to me." She gave a nervous chuckle. "Sorry, didn't mean to sound so informal there…"

He turned to Tenten and gave a smile in return. "That is good. Please do not be so formal with me and my siblings. We want Suna to be your home."

Tenten took a step back. He wanted Suna to be her home? Hearing those words from him gave her a sudden feeling of happiness mixed with shock that began to spread all over her body. She took another step back and tripped over her feet, falling to the ground.

But yet before she could feel the impact of her body hitting the sand, she could feel a hand grasping her forearm, catching her. She was instantly pulled up, as if she was as light as a feather. "Are you okay?" she heard a deep voice and was caught off-guard by her racing thoughts. All she could do was nod as she stared into his eyes.

The two of them stood there, watching the sun rise up upon the village. As the two of them watched the daybreak, they did not share a single word, but rather basked in the moment of pure serenity and the gentle warmth from the sun. It was the beginning of a new day.

This was her new home.

* * *

 **Awww, Tenten is finally starting to realize that Suna is now her home! Took her only… seven chapters to realize that xD.**

 **Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and followed! Your kindness is truly appreciated. Things have been tough for me with both work and home life, so please bear with me with the updates! I will try and get an update out once a week- gotta try and stick with my original goal!**

 **I know Lee had said a lot… and I mean A LOT, but I can picture Lee getting really into the story and wanted to speak the truth about everything. In addition, think about it like in anime when they just go into a lot of backstory…?**

 **I am trying to incorporate a bit of** _ **Gaara Hiden**_ **along with the main storyline. While I try to keep things as canon as I can (no pun intended..?), adding Tenten and Lee to the story may add a twist into things, so we'll see where that all ends up…**

 **I'm also glad that the Tenten and Matsuri friendship went well! I'm trying to make sure that I can add different characters in, so that way we can more perspectives (and potential side stories hmmm!?). And thank you to everyone who has commented saying that they are able to feel and understand Tenten and Gaara's emotions. Adulting is hard for anyone and everyone! We all go through such growth pains in our own way and it only makes us more mature and stronger in character. And that's what I hope our characters here will also do. :)**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Onto the next chapter!~**

 **As a side note: thank you to everyone for being so patient for me with updates! Things have been difficult at home, since I'm taking care of my mom that recently had a big surgery... that on top of work makes it hard for me to get a solid chunk of time for me to write. In return, I've made this chapter slightly longer than the others, so I hope that you will all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **Naruto is solely the property of Masashi Kishimoto.** _ **Gaara Hiden**_ **is Ukyō Kodachi and Masashi Kishimoto's, not mine.**

* * *

"Gaara-sama, just what exactly is the meaning of this?"

Gaara was in his office reviewing paperwork when Tojuro had abruptly entered the room unannounced. The redhead looked up at the older councilman and said, "I do not know what you are talking about. Of course I say this with all due respect, Tojuro-san."

"You should know! The people have spotted you with another woman who is not your sister nor is your intended wife. Explain the meaning of this to me now, before matters get worse."

"By 'people', you are referring to yourself who happened to see me and Tenten before we parted ways at the Kazekage Tower. She is a kunoichi of Konoha who is willfully giving her services to both her own village and ours, and we are in her debt." Gaara closed his eyes, trying not to actively furrow his brow. "I do not see any issue and this will not affect any aspect of the arrangement. Unless you have anything else to add, I kindly suggest you leave."

Tojuro slowly paced towards the door. "Mark my words, Gaara-sama, you have committed yourself to this marriage proposal, and it will happen. This is not the first time you have been seen with this woman. You must push aside any other wavering emotions you think you may have and focus on the welfare of our village." He exited the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Gaara sighed as he placed his elbows on the desk and resting his head on his hands. He opened the folder that contained the terms of his marriage contract. While usually a practical thinker, he could not help but feel as though something was holding him back from fully accepting this arrangement.

His thoughts were disrupted by a loud knock on the door, resulting in a prolonged sigh. "Come in."

"You sound like you weren't expecting me," Kankuro teased, taking the puppets and scrolls he had on his person and placing them on the ground. "We scheduled time to meet?"

"Ah, yes…" Gaara turned to the window, watching people walk up and down the streets. The sky today was clear and very blue. ' _It would be a good day to go outside and walk around'_ , he thought. ' _Perhaps even better to go with friends._ '

"Gaara? If you want, I can come back another time. I saw old man Tojuro walking out of your office when I was coming up, so if you need some time to unwind, let me know."

Kankuro's voice spun Gaara back into reality. Gaara went back to his chair and sighed. "It's fine, thank you for taking the time to meet me." He searched for a file and gave it to Kankuro. "Here are the details for your next mission…"

* * *

After watching the sunrise, Tenten had returned to her apartment and taken a nap, as per Gaara's advice. And as usual, he was right- a nap did prove wonders for her.

Tenten began thinking about the events that had occurred the previous night and this morning. She felt as though she distinctly remembered Lee saying that Gaara and the others were worried about her, but everything was still so fuzzy to her.

And then this morning Gaara just magically appeared. Right when she was thinking about him, he was there. The two of them watched the sunrise without speaking a single word. Once the sun had risen, they parted ways to which he had recommended she get some extra sleep. And that was it.

But yet she could not help but be elated by the fact that Gaara had wanted Suna to be her new home. Out of everyone she had met- the council, the academy staff, Matsuri, even people back in Konoha- he was the only one who openly stated that Suna be her new residence. Everyone else assumed or were openly vocal that this would be a temporary stint.

After taking a shower, Tenten towel dried her hair while walking over to her closet. She opened it and sighed at the lack of options. Although she prided herself at being a minimalist, preferring to be sentimental to memories rather than material goods, Tenten was dismayed at the clothes she owned as they no longer properly fit her. Once Tenten had moved to Suna, her daily attire consisted of loose pants and blouses, but even those did not suit her.

She took out a dress that she had worn often when in Konoha. After the war, she had tried to lift her spirits by changing minor aspects of her life, whether by regularly cleaning her apartment, adjusting her training schedules and taking on more responsibilities around the village. The girls had suggested to wear more makeup and revamp her wardrobe, and forced her to go shopping. Tenten did not want to openly admit that Ino and Sakura had really good fashion tastes, but they seemed to intrinsically know exactly what Tenten's style was and found clothes that suited her figure and preferences. Tenten looked at the dress, admiring the Chinese-styled collar and the flower details. It reminded her of Konoha.

But now Suna was her home. Gaara himself had told her that. After all the remarks she had gotten from the academy and the council and the looks that she had received from judging villagers, she was finally happy that someone had welcomed her to the village.

Now was the time to make new memories in her new home.

* * *

"Tenten, my shining flower, oh how radiant you look today! You look positively better than ever!"

Lee was waiting patiently outside of Tenten's apartment, ready to start the day. The two of them were to attend a meeting with the council in the Kazekage Tower, followed by Lee getting a tour of the village from Tenten and Temari.

"Thanks, Lee, I really appreciate it! I feel a little bit more like myself right now," Tenten beamed. "I found the dress in my closet and decided to wear it, and for some reason it makes me feel a little happier." She quickly took out a key from her pocket. "Here's a spare key to my apartment… in case things like last night happen again. Thank you for everything."

Lee smiled, giving his signature 'Nice Guy' pose. "No need to thank me- I am very happy that you are feeling much better! And now we shall go to the Kazekage Tower to our meeting!" Tenten nodded and the two rushed off.

* * *

The two had arrived minutes before the meeting commenced. Lee and Tenten began scoping out the room, looking for familiar faces. Gaara sat in his chair, with Temari standing not far behind him. Kankuro was nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning, Gaara-ku…" Lee was interrupted by Tenten forcefully nudging him on his side.

"Lee!" Tenten whispered, "don't make a scene in here. We're in the Kazekage Tower and the village council is in this room as well."

Gaara put up a hand, gesturing that everything was okay. "Good morning. I trust you both had a good rest?"

Lee eagerly nodded, giving yet another 'Nice Guy' pose. Tenten began mentally counting how many 'Nice Guy' poses Lee could do in a single day. It had not even been an hour yet and there were already two instances he posed like this. She could see that Gaara was looking in her direction, giving her a quizzical look. Tenten instinctively began nodding, agreeing with whatever the conversation around her was about.

Tenten's eyes wandered around the room. She had never noticed just how large and dark the meeting room was, and how everyone's voices was amplified and echoed throughout. If she paid close attention, she could hear whispers of her name and about the choice of clothing she had decided to wear to such a meeting.

She could feel a firm hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about them, they're just grumpy old men who have nothing else better to do than judge." Tenten turned her head and saw Temari grinning at the brunette. "Trust me," Temari continued, "they've had more than one stupid comment about my clothing choices. You look good, so don't listen to them."

Instantly relieved by Temari's comments, Tenten gave a shy smile. Was it that obvious was it that she was uncomfortable? More importantly, did other people notice? She unconsciously began pulling at the hem of her skirt, wishing that it would spontaneously increase in length. Before she even realized it, almost everyone had already sat down at the table. Lee patted down on a chair, gesturing for her to take a seat next to him.

Everyone looked to Gaara for opening remarks. The redhead gathered his papers and listed the topics of the meeting, as well as giving a brief introduction to Lee and his future assistance in maintaining the Konoha-Suna alliance while Shikamaru and Temari were preparing for their upcoming nuptials. The letter that Lee delivered to Gaara was from Shikamaru and the Nara clan, accepting all terms of the agreement and wanted to push the wedding plans forward. The clan had proposed having the wedding before the year was up, and they would have two ceremonies- one in Suna and another in Konoha.

While the council began arguing to amend the agreement, Tenten quickly turned to look at Temari, who was still standing behind Gaara. Temari's hands were in taut fists, her cheeks a bright red. The main issue was about how Temari was going to marry before her two younger brothers, and that any children that Temari and Shikamaru bore would have claim to the Kazekage title, despite being brought up in Konoha. It was a topic that was well-explored and always arose whenever discussions about marriages came up, as Tenten noticed from prior meetings.

However, this meeting was different. She began hearing about Gaara's impending marriage and the Hoki family. Tenten snuck a glance over to Lee, who appeared dreadfully tense and tried to smile to ease the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Kazekage-sama," a council member spoke, "I urge you to reconsider these terms. We cannot have Temari-dono marry until you are married."

Tenten glanced at Gaara, who remained unmoved the entire time. "I have nothing to add to this. I agree to all the clauses in this agreement and propose to have the wedding this year. As I have stated before, my sister's marriage with Nara Shikamaru will not be impacted by the decisions made by myself or Kankuro."

From afar, Tenten could hear another councilman, Ikanago, clear his throat and stand from his seat. "Kazekage-sama, I dare not impose, but it has been known that you were seen with the Konoha kunoichi, Tenten." He proceeded to glare at the brunette and directly pointed at her. "The council demands an explanation and apology for this. Gaara-sama, you are to be married to Hoki Hakuto and that agreement is final. You should not be seen with other women, especially those who are _outsiders_ and absolutely cannot be trusted."

And there it was again, that uncomfortable feeling that pushed Tenten back to the reality that Suna was not and will never be her true home. She processed everything that Ikanago had said and noticed all of the council speaking and nodding in accordance. Tenten found it increasingly harder to breathe, as the council's voices swelled in volume, taking up the remaining oxygen in the room.

"I…" Tenten whispered, not able to speak. She had not noticed that she and Gaara were being watched when they were viewing the sunrise. While repressing the urge to blush in embarrassment, she internally berated herself for being so careless.

Gaara remained in his seat, a stern and stoic expression plastered on his face. "Like I have told Tojuro-san before this meeting, there is nothing to assume. Tenten is a kunoichi from Konoha that has gladly volunteered her knowledge and skills to help us rebuild our village during these times. I can assure you that the wedding arrangement with the Hoki family is still intact and there is nothing that I am doing that would void the terms." He paused, waiting for the councilmen to rebut, but he was met with silence. "To reiterate," he spoke with a terse expression, his voice increasing in volume, "we will proceed with planning Temari and Nara Shikamaru's nuptials, as well as mine with Hoki Hakuto. That is all."

* * *

After the meeting, Tenten, Lee, Gaara and Temari watched and waited until all the councilmen and aides had left the room. Once the last person had left, Temari finally spoke up, "Those stupid old men, they think they have the nerve to attack anyone and anything."

Tenten's face remained pallid, and she was still lost for words. "I… I don't know."

Temari went over to Tenten and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, you know? They do this all the time. They want to make you vulnerable and render you as useless to us so they can send you back. But you have been a great help to the village and the academy, and we want you to continue being here." The blonde mustered a friendly smile, and Tenten made a feeble attempt to reciprocate, but found herself unable to be optimistic as the older female.

"Tenten."

The three others in the room turned to Gaara, who was laying back in his seat and had his arms crossed. "The councilmen have been urging me and Kankuro for a long while to get married, especially since Temari is getting married to Shikamaru. It is a matter that should not concern you at all, but they have pulled you into it." He paused for a moment and leaned forward in his seat. "The more you react, the more likely they think you are guilty of something. You are playing right into their hands."

Lee felt the need to speak in hopes to cut the curtness Gaara had in addressing Tenten. "Yes, my dear Ten-chan, do not think that this has anything to do with you! These council members seem to be quite devious, and we all must be quite careful!" He made a conscious effort to keep a soft tone as he spoke.

Tenten gave a weak smile, hoping it would reassure both her and the others in the room. "Thanks, everyone… I think I'm just going to go back to my room now." She stood up from her chair, with Lee following suit. "Alone."

Only the sound of her footsteps could be heard as she walked across the conference room, opened the door and left.

* * *

As she walked out of the building, all she could think about was how stupid was she to think that Gaara had any inkling of feeling for her? Were all the niceties that Gaara had towards her were nothing more than lip service? Was it truly all for maintaining the peace?

That rush of happiness dissipated and her surroundings quickly became blurry as she exited the tower. Tenten began deeply inhaling and exhaling as she paced towards the apartment, suppressing any beginnings of an anxiety attack. All she could think about was the tone of disregard Gaara had in reference to her, and that this was all for nothing.

In the back of her mind, her thoughts raced to Neji. If he was here with her, he would think that the encounters between she and Gaara were destined by fate, whereas Gaara merely dismissed it to chance.

Stumbling down the hallway of her apartment floor, she supported herself against the wall as she put in her key to open the door. The familiar setting of her room brought her some internal peace. Tenten slammed the door and promptly sprawled herself on the floor of the entryway, not bothering to take off her shoes. The cold feeling of the floor gave her a sense of stability and reality.

She had not even processed her emotions towards any of this. What did she have for Gaara? No, it was not love, how could that possibly be? Tenten thought about the small stack of money that was on her dresser table, and the sunrise that had appeared more beautiful than ever of all days. She definitely felt a connection with Gaara, one that was not of romance or lust, but one of empathy.

The feeling of being cornered. The feeling of having no autonomy. The feeling of being imprisoned in a body and with responsibilities that were never desired for in the first place. All of these feelings piled up on top of one another, with little loopholes or opportunities to be free. Tenten was a kunoichi who wanted to be as skilled as Tsunade, but yet she had neither the talent to emulate her role model or the opportunity to train with her. She had to work hard independently to earn her keep and gain respect among her community. But yet she felt as though she never received that respect. Instead, she was constantly shuttled from job to job, person to person- she was useless without Neji or Lee. Her talent was to protect her teammate's blindspot, nothing more and nothing less. In the end, Tenten was unable to make a name for herself.

On any given day walking around Suna and Konoha, she could hear her fellow kunoichis' names be used and be given praise. Haruno Sakura, for being trained under the great Tsunade and demonstrating great chakra control and medical skills; Yamanaka Ino for her immense botany knowledge, medic-nin abilities and for being part of the great Ino-Shika-Cho team of the generation; and Hyuuga Hinata, wielder of the byakugan, master of the Gentle Fist technique, and most importantly, Uzumaki Naruto's wife.

But Tenten? Who would know who Tenten was? Even her former teammates were more famous and important than she. All she ever could be was a mere shadow in the background.

Perhaps if she was born into a clan, perhaps if she had more talent, perhaps if she had the opportunity to train with a legend, perhaps if she was more beautiful, perhaps… would she be worthy to be associated with the Kazekage and his family?

The hypothetical situations continued to weigh down on her mind, leaving her little room to breathe and function. Perhaps this, perhaps that- just how much longer would this unhealthy cycle torment her?

After everything she had done for herself, she was still considered an outsider. She was a woman who made no legacy for her to be known for. No matter what, she would always be ostracized.

Tenten's attention was directed to the door, where she could hear faint knocks from the other side. "Tenten? It's me, Lee. May I come in? I have the spare key you gave me this morning."

While trying to stand up, Tenten suddenly realized that she had very little feeling in her body and she was unable to speak. She remained there on the floor, waiting until she could regain control of herself.

The knocks became more forceful from outside. "I'm coming in, Tenten! I can't hear anything in here but I know you're inside!" She could hear the clicking noise from the lock and the sound of the door opening.

"Ten… I'm here." Lee quickly picked her up and placed her on the bed. Feeling a sense of deja vu, Tenten gave a gentle smile to her former teammate.

"I know, seems like just yesterday I picked you up from the floor to the bed, and now here we are again! Life is funny that way!" Lee adjusted the pillows on the bed and placed the comforter on top of her resting body. He then got her a glass of water and brought a chair up next to her bed. "Now tell me, what is happening in the beautiful mind of Tenten. You grace us with your lovely presence with your dress, and then I find you lying on the ground about to cry. This is not like the strong Tenten that I know, and it truly breaks my heart, as your closest friend, to see this."

Where could she begin? Would Lee even understand? At what points would she be considered sane or absolutely crazy?

"I…" Tenten whispered, "It's all my fears coming to attack me at once, Lee, and I don't know what to do about it. It's more than the war, than Neji… even more than this whole Suna relocation thing! I just don't know anymore what to do." Tears began slowly flowing from her eyes. "I never thought it would get this bad. Why am I the only one having a really hard time?"

The two locked themselves in a tender embrace, the sounds of Tenten's cries echoing in her apartment.

From outside the room, Gaara and Temari were observing the scene through the partially open door. Temari gave a scathing glare to her youngest brother.

"My room. Now," she seethed as she grabbed his wrist and dragged him to her room.

* * *

"Just what is the meaning of this, Temari." Gaara forced his sister to let go of his wrist and crossed his arms.

"You… _you_ ," Temari pointed to Gaara, "don't you have any sense of what you're doing?" She watched her youngest brother, his silence indicating he genuinely was confused about the situation.

"Look, I know you're not obligated or anything to care for Tenten, but what you did back there was cruel." Temari exhaled and fell onto her couch. "I don't know where to start explaining this."

Gaara detached the small gourd from his belt and took a seat in a nearby chair. "Well I seem to have time, so why don't you start from the very beginning."

"Look, Gaara, you've seen her- she's not in the right state of mind right now. Tenten thinks that the best way to get over… _whatever_ it might be, is to keep working. After everything we've seen and all that we have heard from Lee, she's not okay. She is far from okay."

Gaara looked at her sister, who had extremely reddened cheeks from frustration, and shook his head. "I do not see how this has to deal with me and what happened at the meeting."

"Well," Temari started, "I'm not sure if you have noticed, but today Tenten was wearing a dress."

"Again, what does that have anything to do with all of this? This seems like a superfluous detail."

Temari groaned. This was going to have to take a lot of explaining, and making explanations was not one of her fortes. She usually left that to Kankuro, who was more patient than she. The blonde focused in on her youngest brother's expressions where his body language appeared blase about the situation, but his face displayed curiosity and concern.

"Gaara, we've had discussions about this before. Tenten doesn't look like herself right now, she's underweight, depressed and tired. She's been having so many anxiety attacks and night terrors while being here, and she has only been here for a few weeks! From my assessment of the situation, I think she has come here to seek refuge while she's figuring things out. We need to be Tenten's support while doing so." Temari paused for a moment, waiting for her brother to parse out the details. "She had that panic attack the other night, and today she tried to appear as cheerful as possible, she was smiling more than usual and she was wearing a dress. In all of her time being here, she hasn't worn a dress at all- just that pants and shirt combo she calls an outfit."

"What do you want from me, Temari. Do you want me to give compliments, shower her with praise?" Gaara crossed his legs and relaxed in the chair. "You know I don't do that."

"No. The only thing you should not be doing is dismissing her in front of others and telling her off like that. You and I both know that those councilmen are scum, and they planned on cornering her from the very start."

"Again, Temari, what do you want me to do? The council is forcing me to marry, and in their eyes, my being seen with other females causes offense. If I protected her in that situation, it would only look more suspicious for the two of us. Had I said anything differently in the meeting, it would put everyone in jeopardy."

Before Temari could respond, Gaara stood up and reattached his gourd to his belt. "I am the Kazekage of Sunagakure. My duty is to my nation and my people. Whatever decision I make or word I say has to reflect solely on the needs of the citizens and the village. This is the path that I have chosen for myself." He slowly walked out of his sister's room, not turning back.

* * *

A few hours passed before Tenten and Lee began to leave for the village tour. Tenten took a close look at herself in the mirror, grimacing at her swollen eyes and flushed cheeks. No amount of makeup could help this situation. She decided to wash her face in hopes that the cold water would provide some calming effect to the redness.

Once the two had reached the entrance to the Kazekage Tower, they were greeted by Matsuri. "Hello! I know that Temari was supposed to be giving you the tour, but she found herself unexpectedly feeling unwell, so I will be taking over!" She turned to Lee and gave a respectful bow. "Hello, Lee-san, my name is Matsuri! It is an honor to formally meet you!"

Lee returned the bow. "Ah, you must be Gaara-kun's former student! I remember going on that rescue mission many years back. And there was the Chuunin Exams as well…" He gave a quick smile. "It is very nice to make your acquaintance."

Matsuri looked to Tenten and the two smiled at one another. "Tenten-san has been nice enough to be my training partner! She has been giving me and other students some lessons and training sessions on the different kinds of weapons shinobi use. Of course, it is not at the same caliber as what your team and village is used to, but it has really helped me learn and improve!" She put her two hands into fists and gave an encouraging grin.

Tenten walked over to Matsuri. "It is I who should be thanking you! I feel like I am learning more as well."

Lee burst into tears as he admired the two young women. "Yosh! I am fired up with youthful spirit, watching my teammate Tenten make new friends! I feel as though she has really flown out of the nest that is Team Gai!"

Matsuri took a quick glance at Tenten. "Um… Tenten-san, are you okay?"

"Oi, Lee, what the hell do you think you're doing?" The brunette walked over to her former teammate and punched him in the stomach. "You're overly emotional just like usual!"

"Oh...Tenten," Lee winced as he spoke, "your punch has truly improved… The pain radiates all throughout my body, and I can feel the youthfulness of your spirit pulsating through my veins!"

"STOP MAKING IT SOUND SO DISGUSTING!" Tenten shouted, gathering the attention of bystanders around the street. "You're honestly so weird!"

Matsuri was uncontrollably laughing at the two, pointing and howling in laughter as tears began falling down her face. "This is so funny! You Konoha people are hilarious!" She began walking towards the village center. "Come now, let's get started with the tour!"

* * *

Just like her tour with Kankuro, Tenten found herself increasingly unfocused with Matsuri's tour. All she could think about was that meeting with the councilmen and how easily Gaara was able to put Tenten in her own place.

"Tenten, look! There's a wonderful open market out right now!"

"Tenten-san? I think Lee is running off somewhere… should we go after him?"

"Ten-chaaaaaannnn, look at all the cute little plants here! And all this interesting food!"

"Tenten-san? Are you listening? Is anything the matter?"

Tenten could feel a hand softly touch her shoulder. As she looked around, she saw that she was standing in the middle of the street, crowds of people shoving her this way and that. Matsuri was standing by her side.

"Tenten-san," Matsuri whispered, "I think we should go and follow Lee-san right now. He seems to be really excited about the flea market, and we should go check it out as well!" All she could do was nod and silently follow her companions as they went exploring through the village market.

Smells of foods and exotic spices wafted through the air and beautiful textiles and linens hung from clotheslines, adding vibrant color to the busy marketplace. Beside her were Lee and Matsuri who were constantly oohing and ahhing at all of the hubbub. But despite all this, Tenten felt as though she was not getting the same experience. Everything was muted- the sounds of the chattering people haggling prices with vendors, the colors of the linens and artwork, even the smells from the food stands. There was nothing for her.

She walked down the marketplace and noticed a small stand that attracted her interest. On the table were small pots of various succulents and cacti. As Tenten began admiring the plants, she accidentally pricked her finger on a cacti. The minor pain gave her a rush of sensation, and she began whispering to herself to be stop being so clumsy in public.

"You should be more careful handling the plants. They look sturdy but are actually quite delicate."

At the sound of the voice, Tenten immediately looked forward and thought that the storekeeper was talking to her. But the deep tone of voice suggested otherwise. It had to be Gaara. She resisted the urge to break the pot of cacti she was holding.

"Kazekage-sama," Tenten said, "what seems to bring you here this afternoon?" She spoke with terse formality and kept her back towards him.

"We have an open-air market and there a few more vendors from surrounding villages are participating this year that I wanted to see. Plus, I do walk around the village during the day, I do not just spend my time in the office." Gaara nonchalantly responded, seemingly unaffected by Tenten's tone of voice.

"I see. Well thank you for saying hello." Tenten selected several cacti and succulents, some blossoming pink and red flowers. She then directed her attention to the stand's merchant, placing some coins down on the table. "I will be purchasing these," she gestured to the potted plants in her arms, "I think this amount of money shall suffice?" Tenten walked away from the stand, brushing by Gaara upon exiting.

Matsuri ran over to Tenten, gasping for air as she was attempting to communicate that she was not able to locate Lee. The younger girl then stopped and stood up straight. "Gaara-sensei! Isn't this a coincidence! What brings you over to the market today?"

At the sound of Gaara's name being called out, people began whispering and turning to the three of them. Tenten immediately turned away from the people surrounding them, preferring to look at the ground instead. She muttered a few incoherent phrases about finding Lee and parted ways from Gaara and Matsuri. The villagers and merchants whispering reminded her of the times she would walk around Konoha and people would gossip about her, and Tenten wanted none of it.

"Tenten-san," Matsuri walked over to the older brunette and put a hand on her shoulder. "Is something the matter? You seem to be out of sorts this afternoon..."

"I'm fine," Tenten muttered, "totally fine." She pushed away from Matsuri and walked away.

* * *

By the time that Lee and Tenten had returned from the market, Lee had found himself overwhelmed with the amount of food, medicines and souvenirs that he had purchased. Even after berating Lee for his exorbitant spending, she could not help but smile at the fact that he was still so perpetually innocent and joyful.

Most of the items he had purchased were those that he wanted to gift to people back in Konoha- Lee was adamant that Naruto needed a new poncho to complete his youthful look while he was studying to become the next Hokage- and there were some herbs and medicines that he wanted to bring back to Konoha.

Right before they parted ways in the hallway of their apartment floor, Tenten reached out to grab Lee's arm.

Lee instinctively turned around. "Is something the matter?"

"I-I…" Tenten stuttered.

"Tenten, you can be honest with me. You have not been your jubilant self since this morning. Please confide in me."

"Lee, please do not push yourself to stay here. I know that you've been out of Konoha long enough for you to worry about Gai-sensei and your students…"

Lee fiddled around with his key to open the door. Once he managed to successfully open the door without dropping any of his purchases, he gestured for Tenten to enter. "Come in, Tenten!" Tenten silently followed.

As he placed all of his belongings down on his kitchen table, Lee softly spoke. "I am here in Suna for as long as you need me. Gai-sensei and the students understand. If anything, I will be here until Shikamaru comes to Suna, and then we shall leave together. Please also know that they are just as much your students as they are mine."

Lee walked over to Tenten, whose hands began quivering. "Tenten," he quickly grabbed her hands. "If you are not comfortable here, you need to be honest with Gaara-kun and the others. Most importantly, you must be honest with yourself. That is the only way you will be able to get through all of this."

"I am trying to be honest with myself, but every time I feel as though Suna could be my home, there is always something that comes up or someone that will disagree. And I am so tired of fighting everyone to prove myself."

"Life is not without its challenges. And I know that you have overcome so much already, so I can understand why you might be tired of doing so. But if you are honest with yourself," he grasped her hands tighter, "I know that you can do amazing things and all the challenges will be defeated!"

Lee continued, "I personally think that this move for you was truly a fortunate experience for you and for everyone in Suna. It not only helps our villages, but also aids Gaara-kun and his siblings. Can't you tell that they have been a lot more social and friendly lately? Especially Gaara-kun!" Looking at Tenten's admonished expression, Lee smiled. "Do not be so sad, instead take this time to blossom into a beautiful flower! You have sun, sky, and friends, so you can grow to your heart's content!"

He let go of Tenten's hands and continued to organize all of his purchases. "Besides, I have yet to see Shira-kun, and he will be coming to visit me and spar!"

Tenten gasped in shock. "Shira? That same guy you wanted to face in the second Chuunin Exam?"

"Yup, that exact guy! He has been working very hard in a special force on an outpost towards the border. I also gave him one of my special suits, so I am sure he has become more powerful and energetic as ever!"

As Tenten's imagination went to visualizing Shira in a bright green spandex suit, her expression shifted from amazement to horror. "Lee! You can't just give people these! They'll be made fun off, especially if they aren't from Konoha!" She imagined all of the Suna shinobi, dressed in their conservative and neutral colored clothing standing in formation with Shira in his spandex suit.

"Do not worry, my dear Tenten," Lee shouted. "If anything, it has made him stronger than ever! We still keep in contact with the occasional letter!"

"Also, Tenten," Lee spoke, "Gaara-kun has asked to spar with me. Perhaps you might be interested in spectating?"

Tenten's interest was piqued. She gave Lee a playful smile.

"Of course I'm interested, Lee. Make sure to go and kick his ass."

* * *

 **And… that's it! Thank you again for being so patient with the update! I know that I have been doing so well with the weekly postings, but with my mother just coming out of surgery, it's been difficult for me to find time to write. I've also been lacking in sleep recently since I've been back and forth from the hospital and doing around the clock care, so if there are more grammar errors than usual, please excuse me.**

 **Hopefully this will set me up right and then I can continue to write! Sleep and stress makes for a dreadful combination resulting in writer's block.**

 **Please read, favorite and review! I love reading reviews and seeing what you guys think where the story may be going! Until next time!**


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